Danganropa: We Can Choose The Future
by malcopunch
Summary: Agro Tenma,The Ultimate Luck may have received more then he bargained for. Starting a new life as an Ultimate, Argo now has to experience the trials and tribulations that come with his title of Luck. Doesn't really help his situation when a mysterious Black and White Bear appears to turn everything on it's head.
1. Chapter 0 - Origin of the Future Part 1

"It's been a while hasn't it, sadly the news is not good. I will be cancelling all my Danganropa Fanfiction. There are multiple reasons for this, 1. The first reason is because i have school work and i can't dedicate myself to writing fanfiction for long periods of time because of school 2. To be honest, during a certain time i kinda fell out the Danganropa Franchise. Don't get me wrong i still like it but i am sadly not as interested in it as i once was. Those are my reasons for cancelling all of my Danganropa Fanfictions.

As for this Fanfiction, well it's not my own work but rather FloatingTriangles work on the Danganropa Reddit Page. I asked him if i could post it on and he was happy with it. Also this will most likely be very infrequent so don't expect this to be posted every single day. While i was originally going to post the character ideas that were posted on another Danganropa Reddit page, i decided against it because it keeps some surprises.

So let's get to the Fanfiction:

We Can Choose The Future Chapter 0

START

"Welcome to the seven o'clock news, I'm your host—"

You manage to slam your hand down, with practiced precision, on your alarm clocks off button.

Silence.

Even though you're groggy, you smile to yourself: you've managed to cut off that insufferable host once again. He enjoys saying his name way too much at seven in the morning, you think…

You hear your mother calling you from down the hall, early than she usually does. "She's probably excited," you think to yourself as you throw off your thin blanket with ease. "Never thought I'd follow in her footsteps." You smirk to yourself as you trudge out your doorway, towards the light in the kitchen. "That makes two of us."

Your guess is correct. Your mother beams at you from her seat at the table. Pots and pans litter the counter and stove, and a full breakfast is laid out at the table. Your stomach growls, and you rush to your seat and begin to wolf down everything within reach.

Your mother eats as well, but she can't help staring at you, as if she's trying to memorize everything about you: unruly brown hair that never looks the same two days in a row; your strange green-gray eyes; slightly crooked nose that never healed quite right after that one fight; that scar on your left hand, the slight discoloration that looks out of place considering your tan complexion. She drinks it all in, memorizing, remembering.

"Agro Tenma, soon to be an Ultimate just like your sister." She sighs happily. "I never would have believed it, but fate works in mysterious ways!"

You nod, trying to not let your sudden displeasure show. You don't like your name. It's the one thing you know about your father, that he chose your name.

Your mother doesn't notice as she looks at the time. Laughter glints in her emerald eyes.

"Is that the time? Agro, hurry! You'll be late for your last day at school!" She chuckles at her joke.

It takes only five minutes to finish getting ready, and soon you step out the main door of your small apartment, a backpack strap thrown lazily over one shoulder, wearing your traditional outfit of jeans and a random tee shirt, this one just plain grey.

The streets are already noisy, but you're a pro at tuning out sounds you don't want to hear. As you walk to school, dodging traffic and the stream of pedestrians like yourself, you think about what has happened over the past three days.

Three days ago, Hope's Peak Academy held a drawing to see who the first ever "Ultimate Luck" was going to be. Millions of high school students, but there could only one Ultimate. All it took was a few seconds, and Agro Tenma, general slacker and wasted potential, was transformed into an Ultimate. Problem was, you didn't want the damn title. You had friends, friends who didn't judge you for not being as smart as your sister, friends who cared. But your mother was so happy…you couldn't disappoint her like that…not again. Everything was set. You were ready to begin your new life.

But first, of course, one last day of school. You snort at the ridiculousness of it. Suddenly, nearing the gates of your school, you see your friends beckoning you away. You know they don't have any intention of going to school today, like usual. And normally you would join them without a second thought. But…tomorrow's the start of your new life. It's a new leaf, where you can make new choices, better ones. Why not begin that change today?

You pause, and in your mind's eye you're deciding the course of your entire day in an instant.

There's no point in sticking around here, you think as you turn away from the school gates and head for your friends. They mockingly applaud as you approach, three of the people you trust most in the world: Leo, with his shark's grin and dyed blue hair meticulously gelled and spiked; Hiro, wearing his sunglasses and too-large trench coat, expressionless as always; and Sigma, who was laughing his trademark obnoxious laugh and adjusting his Luigi cap, looking like he hadn't showered in days (knowing his gaming habits, that was probably the case).

Your friends had their flaws, but you trusted them with your back countless times over the years, and they'd never let you down.

"Thought for a minute you weren't going to join us, Agro," Leo says, a knowing smirk on his face.

You roll your eyes. "You think I'm spending my last day cooped up in a classroom?"

Sigma claps a massive paw on your shoulder, nearly knocking you over. "That's the spirit!"

You rub the sore spot. Geez, for a guy who hates exercise as much as he does, Sigma's still the powerhouse he's always been.

"Take it easy, Sigma, you don't want to kill the man before he goes off to Hope's Peak," Leo says, mock irritation in his voice, laughter bleeding through.

Sigma adjusts his cap awkwardly and apologizes, looking a bit dejected, but your smile perks him up again. No harm, no foul.

"The usual place?" Hiro's voice is a rasp, and it didn't help that he hardly ever talked.

Leo flashes a grin in his direction. "You know, I think our Silent Prince has the right idea!" He takes off running, leaving the rest of you to follow in his footsteps.

Fifteen minutes later, you're sitting at a table at Mr. Marcini's Arcade, your gang's usual haunt. Sigma is playing pinball in the corner, laughing and snorting with glee. Hiro watches over his shoulder, the lights glinting off the dark shades. Leo watches them for a moment, smiling and shaking his head, his blue quills staying rigidly in place.

"Yo, you remember when Sigma first moved to our district? He didn't have a friend in the world."

You nod, remembering a younger Sigma alone in a corner of the classroom. "They grow up so fast."

Leo's shark grin appears, but soon slides off his face. His gaze turns from Sigma's antics to you. His hazel eyes meet your greenish grey. "Too true, my friend. Too true."

You know what's coming tomorrow, but something in Leo's tone irks you, just a little bit. You hold up your hands in surrender. "Hey, Leo, I'm not dying or anything. I didn't want anything to do with this Ultimate business!"

Leo rolls his eyes, and breathes out slowly. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just giving you a hard time." He nods in the direction of the games. "Go play a few rounds. I'll get us all something to eat." He walks off before you can say anything else.

You watch him go.

Your time at the arcade was spent much as it usually was: talking, laughing, and watching Sigma attempt to get the high score playing pinball. Leo was back to his usual self by the time he returned with the food. Nothing happened that would indicate an abrupt end to this pattern. As you left, many entertaining hours later, with the mid-afternoon sun bearing down, a chill passed through you.

This is my last day.

Leo must have noticed something, because he abruptly changes direction, ducking down an alley and picking up speed, calling out that he'd changed plans. Hiro, Sigma, and you look at each other for a moment, and then follow. Leo's path was one of many twists and turns, but you three were experts in navigating his madness. Soon, the four of you were standing in an abandoned parking lot.

A lone bench was in one corner of the lot.

Hiro froze at the sight of it. "I don't believe it."

"I knew it was still here!" Leo said, staring at the bench. He looks at you. "You remember what this was, right, Agro?"

You nod. Of course you remember: that bench was where the four of you determined that, for better or worse, you were stuck with each other. Friends.

Sigma gasps and wheezes, waddling to the bench. Sweat pours down his face. Hiro joins him, trench coat scraping the ground. Leo looks at you, nods, and the two of you join them. The old bench creaks under your combined weight, but it does not break.

The four of you sit in silence, all of you thinking about different things.

Leo breaks the quiet. "Agro is leaving us for bigger and better things." He pauses. "But that doesn't mean he isn't one of us for life. Right, guys?"

"Right," Sigma says, nodding enthusiastically, his Luigi cap nearly flying off his head.

Hiro murmurs assent.

You're not sure what to say.

Leo doesn't wait for you, and holds up his cell phone. "A picture, for all the memories!"

Flash!

You return home just as school is getting out, just to be safe. Your mom works, but you've found out over the years that your neighbours are extremely nosy. You slip into the apartment, and head for your room. Your bag is basically ready…or so you thought.

You just realized that the front pocket with the broken zipper doesn't have anything in it. You could probably fit something small in there. You throw a quick glance around your room. There's your trusty Frisbee, a DVD of the movie Sharks on a Plane, and the newest edition of Glamorous! That was your sister's idea of a congratulatory present. Some genius.


	2. Chapter 0 - Origin of the Future Part 2

Bright and early the next morning, you stare at the gates to Hope's Peak Academy. You feel vaguely uncomfortable. Partly this is because you can't help but think of Leo, Hiro, and Sigma getting into trouble without you someone, and partly because your mom forced you into a white dress shirt because she apparently wasn't satisfied in you going to the Academy in only a red tee shirt and black jeans. You unbuttoned the unwanted article the second you were out of eyesight, but you didn't dare take it off. You'd learned over the years that mothers just knew when they were disobeyed. And…she'd made you promise.

This is it, you think and sigh, dropping your bag to the ground, Frisbee nearly falling out of the open pocket. You couldn't help but feel a little nervous as you waited for the gates to open. The Academy was massive, many floors higher than your old school, and you were sure that you'd heard of at one person getting lost in its bowels and being found weeks later. It dwarfed the landscape, and you'd found out that there were rumors of more construction in the future.

A voice from the intercom near the gates snaps you out of your thoughts and firmly back into the present. "Agro Tenma, Ultimate Luck, welcome to Hope's Peak Academy. Please proceed to the entrance hall. Introductions will begin at eight o'clock."

The gates swing open slowly. You pick up your bag, being careful not to lose your trusty Frisbee, take a deep breath, and step through the gates.

You begin walking towards the doors…but your vision goes darker and darker…until it's like you're swimming alone in an endless void. What's going on?

…You wake up. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you look around at your surroundings. From the looks of it, it's a school classroom: many lights on the ceiling, four walls of faded paint, whiteboard with random scribbles, plus twenty too-small desks (one of which you were snoozing at). But there are things that don't fit: the security camera that's firmly installed in the corner, the solid iron plates where you'd expect a window to be, the strange screen above the door…

You can't comprehend what happened. "What the hell's going on here?"

One minute you were walking in the doors to Hope's Peak Academy, and the next you're…here? Is this a classroom in Hope's Peak? Why don't you remember coming in here, sitting down, and falling asleep? The clock near the door shows five minutes to eight. You walked in the gates about an hour before that. What the hell happened in that hour?

It was then that you noticed your bag near the door, Frisbee still sticking out. You get up and stretch, determined to figure out what happened, when suddenly your gaze fastens on the whiteboard, and you realize what you thought were random scribbles were actual words.

The new semester has begun…

You hoist your bag onto your shoulder, and head out of the classroom, slamming the large wooden door to vent your frustration. You desperately hope that this is a sick prank. An elaborate sick prank played out on new Ultimates. Yeah, that must be it. That has to be it.

The hallway doesn't have any answers for you. No people waiting, barely containing their laughter as the new Ultimate stumbles out. Just a checkered tiled floor, weird gothic arches, and strange purple mood lighting. From what you remember your sister blabbering about, this definitely sounds like Hope's Peak Academy, but why is nobody around? The classroom you just exited was classroom 1-B, and you peek into the next classroom over, but no one's there either. Suddenly, you remember: introductions start at eight, the intercom said. You only have a couple minutes! You begin to run, praying that you'll magically find your way, because you have no idea where anything is in this crazy school. As you run down a hallway awash in green, the first few doors, a giant red one and one with a cassette tape on it, are locked. A bit further on, the hallway opens up slightly, and you see an open door to your left. You run through it…

Fifteen faces look your way as you approach, fifteen pairs of eyes watch you run into the room. You look around, breathing hard, not recognizing anyone. No one speaks for a moment, and the silence is uncomfortable, deafening.

Finally, a boy's voice breaks the silence. "I think that is everyone."

"How can you be so sure?" A girl's voice, the speaker hidden in the crowd.

"I was told there would be sixteen of us, and this one is the sixteenth."

You weren't told any such thing, but at the moment that's the least of your concerns. Everyone's looking around, not saying anything…

One of the boys stepped forward. You noticed you were a few inches taller than him, but you definitely wanted to stay out of his way. His muscles threatened to bulge out of his green school uniform, he wore a dangerous scowl on his face, and his red eyes didn't help. He seemed the picturesque standard military-type, judging from his short black hair. However, in the next instant his scowl turned into a grin as he saluted the group. "Hello, everyone, my name is Tadakatsu Yamamoto, and I am the Ultimate Military Cadet! Pleased to meet you all!" His voice rang around the large room. A pause, and then Tadakatsu spoke again. "It would be best if you followed my example!" His red eyes probed around the room. "No one would be in the dark, and then we can figure out what's going on!"

A girl cleared her throat. "Good point." She smiles at everyone, the beads in her black hair clacking as she looked around. She wore green cargo pants and a simple brown tee shirt with the words Just Build It! prominently displayed, words that made sense with her pronouncement that she was Kaori Hatagami, the Ultimate Builder.

After Tadakatsu and Kaori broke the ice, things went a bit more smoothly than before. The sixteen of you got into a circle of sorts, and the rest of you introduced yourselves.

The girl to Kaori's right threw her blue top hat high into the air, unveiling a thick head of black hair as she did. Her laugh was quite loud, coming close to a cackle. She seemed very proud of herself, standing confidently in her black skirt, playing with her magnificent cape. Her dark skin made you question where exactly she was from, but when she spoke it was in perfect Japanese. "Greetings, mortals! Toshi Kowalski's the name, and magic's my game! I'm the Ultimate Magician!"

The boy next to her wore a complete suit, but he was pretty well built for a businessman. After he adjusted his orange glasses, patted his perfectly combed black hair and smirked, introducing himself as Honzo Konda, the Ultimate Film Critic, you recognized his voice as the boy who'd spoken before.

Next was Yosuke Muramura, a very short boy who looked like he didn't get out much. His large pink sweatshirt was too large for him, and with his green shorts he looked a little bit like a giant watermelon. He stammered out that he was the Ultimate Puppeteer, and then attempted to pull his faded red baseball cap over his bright green eyes.

Next to the shortest boy stood the tallest, wearing flashy gold sweatpants, a white athletic shirt, and leather jacket. "The name's Dio Uno, and don't you dare laugh about me being the Ultimate Pinball Wizard!" His poufy blond afro made more sense, but it was still the funniest thing you'd seen all day.

Dio couldn't help staring directly at the next girl's larger-than-average breasts, but she didn't seem to notice. She smiled brightly and waved, jumping up and down, her pink school uniform struggling to hold together, tan skin threatening exposure. Pink seemed to be her color, and you noticed that even her eyes were pink, and covered in pink eye shadow. She brushed back her bright blonde hair and winked. "Everyone, hi! I'm Ichigo Hana, the Ultimate Pageant Girl!"

Next to her stood a quiet girl, shorter even than Yosuke. She spoke, in quiet, halting Japanese, that her name was Tatiana Rostislavna Volkova, the Ultimate Ballet Dancer. Compared to the revealing school outfit, her black long sleeve blouse and ankle-length skirt seemed almost humorously conservative. She looked almost sickly, pale with even paler blonde hair. Only her blue eyes seemed to glimmer with life, cloaked as they were in wings of blue eye shadow. You only need one guess to know where she's from, you think. You weren't sure how many students Hope's Peak Academy accepted from outside Japan, but there were definitely more than a few based on this crowd.

The boy next to her confirmed this. Thin but tan, with blond hair and blue eyes, his accent was unmistakably Germanic. "Edwin Albrecht, Ultimate Doctor. Here to help." He coughed into his mustard-colored scarf, his spectacles falling forward on his nose. Like Ichigo, he seemed to prefer a certain color, but his was white: white school uniform and white doctor's coat hanging from his shoulders. You were a little amazed that it hadn't fallen off yet.

You were next, and you nodded to everyone and rattled off that you were Agro Tenma, Ultimate Luck. You thought you saw Dio and a rather sloppily dressed boy roll their eyes, but you ignored them. What the hell do they know?

The only redhead in the group stood on your right, nearly your height, introducing himself as Tidus Hayabusa, Ultimate Pilot. His eyes, one blue and one strangely green, mystified a few of you. He seemed very energetic, rocking forwards and backwards on his heels, never keeping still. His blue pilot's uniform was kept in perfect condition. You got the impression that he cared very greatly for it. He smiled widely at you, and then noticed your Frisbee. He seemed almost spellbound by it.

A stocky girl a few inches shorter stood on the other side of him. You weren't really sure how to describe her, this Aimi Annen who was apparently the Ultimate DJ. Her short hair was dyed a myriad of colors, every color of the rainbow and then some, with no rhyme or reason to it. Her clothes were almost normal, blue skinny jeans, sneakers, and a small tie-dyed shirt that showed the slightest bit of her belly. It was her eyes that unsettled most everyone. They were like a cat's, and Aimi would not answer if they were the product of contacts or not.

The girl next to her was one of the few who didn't blanch at Aimi's strangeness. Her smirk never wavered, and her crown earrings twinkled as she calmly surveyed the group. "Hey. I'm Aika. Got in here due to my acting skills." She looked across the circle to Dio. "Harder than playing pinball, I'd say." Dio scowled, but something in her golden-brown eyes stopped him from doing more than that. Definitely someone to watch out for, you think. She did paint a pretty picture, though: wavy pink hair, low cut white top with different sleeve lengths, black thigh-high socks, strange black gloves, high heeled boots. She reminded you of an ex you never wanted to see again.

Miyuki Hiyama, the blue haired-Ultimate Skier, looked like a fashion disaster, although you would never tell that to her face considering she was a couple inches taller than you. Really, her white dress shirt and gray shorts and combat boots were fine…but she had apparently torn apart a winter jacket and made it into a horrifying vest of some sort. Her gray eyes wordlessly dared someone to make fun of it.

The last girl to introduce herself, a smaller girl wearing a standard schoolgirl uniform, took a note from your simple approach. She nodded at the group, her untidy white hair bobbing all over the place. "Please, call me Sylvia. I'm the Ultimate Linguist." Toshi clicked something intelligible at her, but Sylvia only gave her a slight smile, her hazel eyes reflecting confusion. "I'm sorry, but that's not really a language, is it?"

Toshi looked astonished. "Damn, language girl is good."

Last, there was the sloppily dressed boy who you'd thought had rolled his eyes at your introduction. He smiled a lazy smile, and introduced himself as Kanzaki Kanesaka, the Ultimate Reporter. He was a thin guy with an even thinner face, with clumsily combed black heair and gray eyes, but it was his clothes everyone was staring at. Honzo was looking positively horrified, and you were thinking that maybe you'd been too hasty in judging Miyuki the fashion disaster of the group. Kanzaki wore a gray dress shirt that he'd buttoned wrong and hadn't tucked into his dress pants, incorrectly tied his red tie, and he had chosen for some inexplicable reason to wear sneakers. He looked like a mess, but he just wore that lazy smile. "What? Something on my face, guys?"

With everyone introduced, the sixteen of you compared stories. You were all a bit shocked to realize that the same exact thing had happened to all of you: passing out as you were walking into school, and walking up a bit later with no idea how you got there.

"So, we all woke up here, surrounded by iron plates for windows, and cameras all over…" Honzo was saying, glancing around. "Do you think we are on a reality show of some sort?" He looked a little excited at the prospect.

"Don't be an idiot," Dio snapped. "We've obviously been kidnapped!" He pointed at one of the walls, a wall you hadn't properly looked at yet. "I mean, look at this damn door!"

You looked, and one word escaped your mouth. "Woah."

You remembered a much smaller doorway when you'd entered the Academy before. But, in place of where the door to the outside should have been, there was only something that you could call…a futuristic hatch: solid metal with blue flashing lights ringing the outside. With the many locks in place, it looked like it would take nothing short of a massive explosion to open.

Unfortunately, none of you were the Ultimate Pyrotechnics Expert, though you'd played around with fireworks a bit as a kid.

Tidus ran up and began rapping on it with his knuckles. "Hello? Hello? We're trapped in here!"

Tadakatsu's voice reverberated throughout the hall. "Enough. It would not do to panic." His voice was calm, and soothing. "I wouldn't doubt if this was some elaborate prank of some sort."

Yosuke looked calmer, Tatiana smiled at him, and Sylvia agreed. "Right. It can't be anything so horrible."

Kanzaki only hummed under his breath. Tidus stopped pounding and rejoined the group. It seemed like everyone was calming down, at least a little bit.

You too wanted to believe Tadakatsu's words.


	3. Chapter 0 - Origin of the Future Part 3

And then the familiar tolls of the morning bells reverberated throughout the school, causing everyone to tense slightly despite themselves, and a screen on one of the walls, which you hadn't noticed before, flickered to life. At first there was only static, but soon a faint outline of something appeared. For a moment, all any of you could hear was the sound of static, but then a voice, a lighthearted, whimsical voice, came over the school's intercom. As it spoke, it gradually filled you with a sense of discomfort.

"Mic check, mic check! Attention all new students...I would now like to hold an entrance ceremony…so please assemble in the gymnasium—immediately. Catch you later!"

As quick as the broadcast ended, it seemed, it was over. The sixteen of you were seemingly alone once again.

Kanzaki strolled away, whistling as he went. "You heard the boss. I'll be at the gym." He waved a hand. "Later."

Kaori looked uncertainly at the rest of you, but followed him. "We've got to check this out, at least!"

Others followed her in quick succession: Ichigo skipped away, Aimi left silently, Dio swore and stalked out, Honzo rubbed his chin as he went.

Tadakatsu was comforting Yosuke, who was trembling. "Chin up, Puppeteer. This is just how they do things at Hope's Peak. We're going to be fine."

Yosuke sniffled, adjusting his hat. "You mean it?"

Tadakatsu nodded, and the pair left began to leave, and almost everyone else followed. You don't move yet, however, but instead glance over at Tidus, the last one to move for the door. He looked a bit shocked.

You wave a hand in front of his face. "Hey man, you doing all right?"

Tidus jumped a little, but he nodded. "Thanks. I-I'm all right." His gaze moved to your Frisbee again. "I, uh, noticed you brought a Frisbee with you…you want to play catch later?" He seems unsure of himself, and something tells you this isn't something he does very often. Sigma, alone in a corner, flashes through you mind.

You nod. "Sure. C'mon, we're going to be late."

The two of you follow the others and walk together mostly in silence.

Tidus kept muttering under his breath as you walked, and you were going to ask him to either spit it out or stop when a question blurted from his mouth just as you began to walk under yellow lights instead of green. "You think we're safe going to the gym?" His voice was still slightly shaky.

You nod, after a moment's consideration, and the two of you round the corner, passing a blocked-off staircase. A plain wooden door was nearby, clearly marked to be the door to the gymnasium. Everyone else was inside already. You turn the handle, take a deep breath, and step inside, Tidus nearly bumping into you in his haste.

Well, it wasn't quite the gymnasium proper, but a magnificent trophy room. It was different from all the other rooms so far. Gone were the cold, checkered tiles, and in its place were wood floorboards, a red carpet, and warm lighting. Hope's Peak banners lined the ceiling, flushed red with victory, and multiple display cases lined the walls, packed with golden trophies of every shape and size. Not everyone had rushed past this sight. Miyuki stood staring wordlessly at one trophy in particular, and surprisingly Dio stood by as well. He notices the two of you staring, but he doesn't move. He seemed to be in a better mood than a few minutes ago.

"You two," he calls, waving you ahead, "the others went inside. Go on, already."

Trophies never interested you much, considering you were never the one in the family earning them. You look at Tidus, and you both shrug and continue on. Maybe it's just the light, but your traveling partner looks a little bit better. The last things you notice as you follow the red carpet and leave to meet the rest of the group was another screen above the door and another security camera mounted firmly to the ceiling. It sours the room a little bit, you think.

The gym was exactly what you'd expect of a place like Hope's Peak Academy. Large and clean, which were two words that did not describe your last school's gym. Quite the opposite, really. You went to join the others, who were standing around the group of chairs next to the stage. There was nobody on stage. Nobody besides you Ultimates were here. Why did that voice ask you to come here?

Ichigo spoke up first, hands on her hips. "I don't get it. Why the no-show?"

Aimi sat in one of the chairs. "It's a little strange…"

Toshi sat in a neighboring chair, examining her closely, but trying not to look into her eyes. "Do your eyes see through walls?" Aimi did not respond.

Edwin began to walk up the stairs as Dio and Miyuki, the last two, entered. "I will get to the bottom of this."

"Hold on, don't you dare go up there!"

Edwin stopped at the voice's insistence, and reconsidered, deciding to take a seat. The voice spoke again. "All of you, take a seat as well! I won't begin until you're beary comfortable!"

"Beary?" Aika muttered, her head in her gloved hands. Tatiana giggled.

Once all of you were seated, the lights dimmed, and a lone spotlight shone on the empty stage. And then, all of the sudden, it was not empty anymore, for a large teddy bear, split white and black down the middle, with a grin that was both cuddly and terrifying, jumped up onto the podium!

"Hiya!" the bear said. "I'm Monokuma, your headmaster!"

You had no words at this moment. Neither did anyone else, for that matter, for how could any human, even an Ultimate, contemplate what had just happened? A bear was talking. Not only was it talking, but also it just proclaimed itself the headmaster. What on earth was going on here?

Tidus jumped up, knocking away his chair. "The bear…what?"

Tadakatsu put forth a reasonable suggestion. "Relax, classmates, for it is not an actual talking bear. In the military, there are similar technologies used all the time, speakers and such—"

The bear turned a little to the right, the black side of his face, the horrible side of his face with the toothy grin and evil red marking now being fully displayed. The cuddly side of his face was discarded, unimportant. Ichigo screamed.

"Another remark like that, Tadakatsu Yamamoto, and I won't be very happy."

Silence. A slight shift, and the bear was again both cuddly and terrifying. "As I was saying, I'm not a teddy bear or the military's pet project! I'm Monokuma, and your headmaster, and I would love it so beary much if you stop trying to shatter my dreams!"

More silence. The bear sniffed. "Thank you. Quiet in the audience is so much appreciated. Rise, bow, good morning! All of these things at once and none at all, because who knows what time it is with all those pesky windows blocking out the outside world…" The bear laughed, filling in the imposed silence. You were afraid, like everyone else, just what he would do if you spoke up.

The laughter soon stopped, and the bear hopped from the podium to begin pacing the length of the stage. "Now, to business: you guys are to carry out your lives together here within the academy walls!" A delicious pause, and then it spoke one word.

"Indefinitely!"

Chaos.

Her hands balled into fists, Miyuki could not control herself any longer. "You can't keep us here, bear!"

Dio nodded and stood up, grinning, confidence back. "Yeah, we'll just take you apart!"

Tatiana's voice wavered up. "Is this what the school wants?"

Yosuke looked down at the ground. "Our…whole lives…"

Everyone else looked shocked. You were sure you did too. If the bear had its way, you were never going to see your mom or friends again…

The bear just chuckled from its throne. "Well," it began, "that's not quite true. I mean, there is a way to get out of here, a special system put in place thanks to the one and only Monokuma!"

Sixteen teens were waiting on bated breath.

"Graduation! My system is built on order absolute, but if someone were to destroy that order, by a little thing called murder, only they would be allowed to leave!"

Aika was the next to stand up amidst the gasps. "Hey, 'Beary,' what do you mean by murder?"

The bear giggled. "Anything your depraved little heads can come up with. The important thing is…you can't get out unless you kill someone. Kill to your heart's content!"

Everyone was silent, grappling with his or her own disbelief, anger, or a combination of the two. You were no exception.

Monokuma watched with glee. "Oh, and don't bother attacking me. It won't do you any good…and it will only lead to you being punished. Oh, but you won't know what not to do until I've given you these, huh?" As if on cue, the lights came back on again. Suddenly, the bear threw something at each of you. You caught yours without a problem, and looked at it. It was some kind of electronic tablet.

"This is your Student Handbook!" Monokuma called out proudly. "It displays your name, and it won't break! But more importantly, it has a list of the school rules. Make sure you read them carefully, or you'll regret it: breaking the rules is not permitted under any circumstance!"

The bear sighed, suddenly sad. "I think that's the end of our little ceremony…I'll see you all again really beary soon…" And then you faced an empty stage.

"Hey, Agro, check it out."

You turn to Tidus, who's glancing down at his Student Handbook, the screen aglow. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his red hair. "The bear was right—there are rules to follow."

You check your own handbook, and it's easy to find what Tidus was talking about.

Under "School Rules" there are currently seven entries.

Rule One: Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

Rule Two: "Nighttime" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.

Rule Three: Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

Rule Four: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

Rule Five: Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of the surveillance cameras.

Rule Six: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

Rule Seven: Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.

They were…terrible rules.

Dio threw his student handbook across the gym, roaring in anger. It clattered on the gym floor.

Honzo said, "If you were looking to break it, I am afraid you will always be disappointed. Do you remember what Monokuma said?"

When Dio snorted, his hair wobbled. "I don't give a fuck about what that bear said!"

"You'll probably die, you know," Aika butted in.

"Listen, I—"

Tadakatsu cut Dio off. "Stop fighting! We must search for a way out. There are sixteen of us, so if we split up and explore we should be able to find a way out! We'll meet in the cafeteria in an hour!"

The sixteen of you began to splinter off into smaller groups and leave the gym. Tadakatsu, trailed by Yosuke, Honzo, and Kaori, left first. Dio muttered to himself as he grabbed his handbook, and left when Ichigo, Aika, and Miyuki did. Edwin was murmuring to Tatiana, who looked close to fainting, and took her by the arm and gently led her out. You stayed where you were for the moment. There was only you, Kanzaki, Tidus, Toshi, Aimi, and Sylvia left in the gym. Most of them, it seemed, had no intention of leaving yet. You saw, out of the corner of your eye, that Tidus was getting jittery, and glancing at your Frisbee.

You had an hour. There were other groups exploring, and you'd promised Tidus you'd throw the Frisbee with him. It might take your minds off the horror of your situation for a moment. On the other hand, you saw the value in exploring the school, too.

What do you do? Whatever you choose, it seems like it's the beginning of your life at Hope's Peak Academy…


	4. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 1

Chapter 1: Accidents Happen

You stand up from your chair, five pairs of eyes on you. You look at Tidus, and grin. "Come on, we've only got an hour. Let's see what sorts of trouble we can get into."

Tidus scrambles to his feet. "Thanks, I'd thought you'd never ask." He casts a sidelong glance at your Frisbee, but quickly follows. You can always play catch later. While it might have done some good to take your minds off of the situation for a while, you and Tidus both realize that confronting the situation will help more right now. The other four stay where they were. You swear you even saw Kanzaki yawn right before the door closed behind you.

You both dismiss the trophy room as containing anything relevant to escaping after a quick glance around, and move on.

"Where do you think we should start looking?" Tidus asks. He tests the shutters blocking the nearby staircase, but try as he might, he can' t get them to budge.

You shrug. "Everywhere?"

Tidus flashes you a grin. "That sounds perfect to me! I need to keep moving around." He chuckles weakly, running a hand through his red hair. "Mom thought I was a demon growing up."

You chuckle, nodding in complete sympathy. "My mom thought the same."

Bathrooms are nearby, but besides the odd fish tank, they contain nothing out of the ordinary. At least, the boy's bathroom was normal, but you were afraid of what Monokuma would do to you if you opened its companion.

"He'd probably blow us up," Tidus says, shivering.

After your thorough investigation in the bathroom, you see Edwin and Tatiana standing outside pink doors with hearts on them. Edwin shakes his head and says something to her you can't quite hear, and then notices you. He clears his throat. "I thought the infirmary would help. It's locked."

You and Tidus try the doors as well, straining with all your might, but the doors don't budge.

"It's a shame," you say. You glance at Tatiana. "You feeling all right?"

Tatiana nods quickly. "Sorry, fine," she says, quietly. "It was a bit much…for a moment."

Edwin adjusts his glasses, and clears his throat again. "Tatiana, you should rest. Come with me to the cafeteria." He offers her his arm, and she accepts it slowly, nervously.

Tidus watches the strange pair go, and then kicks the pink doors ruefully. "For all the bear said about giving us free rein of the school, a lot of things are blocked off."

You nod, thinking the same thing. "It's definitely weird."

The pair of you discovered that Dio and Ichigo were investigating the entrance hall. "Hey guys," you call out, "find anything yet?"

Dio punches the metal hatch, obviously frustrated and tired. "I've been trying to get this damn thing open, but no dice." He exhales. "How about you?"

"Nothing," Tidus says, shaking his head. "But we did find a fish tank in the bathroom."

Dio rolls his eyes and stalks out, muttering that he'd be in the cafeteria.

Ichigo smiles wide, gesturing to the mailbox on the table next to her. "Not much in here, but I found something interesting!"

You go nearer, and stare into the mailbox. So close to Ichigo, you smell a faint hint of strawberries. "It doesn't have anything in it, Ichigo…"

She's unfazed, tapping her long pink fingernails on the table. "Well, yeah, obviously, but this random mailbox is important, I know it is!"

"You waiting for fan mail?" Tidus quips.

Ichigo winks. "Oh, I'm waiting for a certain type of letter…" She walks away, giggling. "Bye, boys…"

You couldn't help but stare. That strut is definitely worthy of the Ultimate Pageant Girl…

Tidus breaks you out of your reverie. "Doesn't look like there's much here," he says, looking around. You quickly see that he's right. Besides the hatch and the mailbox, there isn't much here that could help with your escape, unless the welcome bulletin boards somehow held the key. You doubted that.

When you take a second glance at the hatch, however, you notice something you hadn't before, right next to the distracting blue light that rings your prison's defense. "Hey, what's the panel?"

Tidus walks over to it, and shrugs. "Looks just like a normal, everyday keypad. We'll probably need some sort of numbered code to get out of here, I guess." He looks at you, and smiles. "Pretty useless at the moment."

"Maybe…" you say. Perhaps what you needed to look for was some type of code, and not an escape route? You hadn't seen anything like that, though, and the two of you leave the entrance hall soon after the keypad's discovery. Across the hall was a pair of bright orange doors.

"Hope's Peak Academy really can't decide on a color scheme, can they?" Tidus asks, trying the handle. He shakes his head. "No good. Locked again."

You notice a small screen near the frame, and a sudden wave of inspiration hits you. You get out your Student Handbook and hold it to the screen, and the two of you hear a faint click. Tidus now has no problem pushing open the door, a look of amazement on his face. "Agro, you're a genius!"

Behind the door was a large carpeted exercise room. Treadmills lined the far wall, and Hope's Peak hosted rows and rows of various machines, suited for many diverse workouts. You noticed more bathrooms, conveniently placed, along with multiple drinking fountains. Stacks of large, heavy weights littered the room. All in all, like the gymnasium, the room was much nicer than what you were subjected to at your other school.

"I bet Dio and Tadakatsu will be happy with this discovery," you say, turning to Tidus. He doesn't look too interested in the room's haul. "You don't look too happy, man."

Tidus shakes his head. "Nah, exercising has never been my thing. Plus, I was kind of expecting secret treasure of some sort."

You nod, understanding. "Well, if you ever want to, I'd be glad to help you out."

He smiles, and begins to say something, but his words are cut off by Monokuma's cackle. You both visibly jump: the laughing bear had materialized out of nowhere next to you. "Hello, you two! Enjoying the new exercise room? It used to be a boring old shop that sold trinkets, so I improved it!" It sighed dreamily. "Just think, so many possible weapons you could use to kill someone…"

"Oh, get out of here," you say, trying to be intimidating and, probably, failing.

Monokuma slouched over, feigning sadness. "And this is what I get for caring about the health of today's youth. You both are so ungrateful I won't even tell you you're almost late for your meeting in the cafeteria!"

You and Tidus glance at each other in alarm, but then Tidus's brow furrows. "Wait a minute, it hasn't been an hour yet."

"Oh yeah," Monokuma cackles, "I forgot, bears can't tell time! Have a beary good search, best of luck, sayonara!" It's gone as quickly as it came, but its laugh rings in your ears. The two of you had enough of the exercise room after that.

The cassette tape door to the "Media Center" was now open, you realize, and the pair of you head in. A large screen dominates one wall of the room, and speakers dot the walls. There are many smaller screens in the room, all accompanied with a slot to insert discs if one so chose.

Tidus sat in one of the many computer chairs, and immediately began spinning, faster and faster, becoming an indistinct blur of red and blue. You couldn't help laughing at the spectacle.

"Could you not do that? It is distracting."

You turn in the direction the voice came from, and discover Honzo in his own computer chair in the corner. You didn't notice him when you came in, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The Ultimate Film Critic would probably feel right at home in a room like this…

Tidus slowly stops spinning, looking more than a little dejected. "Sorry."

Honzo nods, seeming content. "I would not usually care what you choose to do with your time, but when I am trying to figure something out, distractions are something I cannot tolerate." He glances at his watch. "So, nearly time to meet up, then." He stands, straightening his suit coat. "Would you care to accompany me, or not? Either way, there is only a few minutes left."

You glance at Tidus, who shrugs, and back to Honzo's orange glasses. "We'll pass. See you there."

When Honzo leaves, Tidus immediately begins spinning again. "Looks like we know to not invite him on our fun misadventures!" he calls, the constant movement distorting his voice.

"He's got a point, though. We should probably cut this one short."

Tidus stops again, and gingerly stands. "Yeah, I hear you." The two of you head out again, with one destination in mind: the cafeteria. You hoped that the others had more luck than you did in their own searches, but you doubted it.

"I'll miss you, spinning computer chair," Tidus calls back he closes the Media Room's door.

It took the two of you a bit of time to find the cafeteria, but as it turned out there was a passageway that lead to "Hotel Despair." At the end of this passage was an entirely new area, but one you didn't have time to explore now. The cafeteria door was plainly marked with a blue display of cutlery, and you hurried in.

The first thing you realize is that the cafeteria boasts red tiles, and that there are many tables, some small and circular and one a much larger rectangle. The second thing you realize is there are windows that aren't covered up with iron plating, although the view outside, a few trees and the school's gray walls, doesn't help your situation. The third thing you realize is that everyone else is already there, sitting, waiting, and staring at the two of you.

You and Tidus grab the last empty seats at the large table.

Tadakatsu claps his hands together. "With our stragglers here, we can begin!" His red eyes rove around. "Did anyone find a way out of here?"

A pause. "Well," Toshi starts, "I was definitely going to find a way out of here, but I didn't even get to leave the gym!" Confused glances follow that statement. "Mr. Bear locked some of us in, and forced us to do…Monokuma Tai Chi," she says, spitting out the name of the exercise regimen like a poison.

"That's right," Sylvia says, nodding wearily. "We were there until only a few minutes ago, as most of you know."

Aimi seems to have worn her punishment better than the others, her cat's eyes are bright and alert, but crumpled Kanzaki looks miserable in his seat, utterly drained. You feel a certain amount of satisfaction at his fate.

"Looks like we made a good call to leave when we did, partner," Tidus says, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. You nod. Monokuma Tai Chi did not sound like a fun way to spend an hour.

Edwin, Tatiana, Dio, Ichigo, and Honzo all reported their findings to the group, things you were already aware of. In their investigations, none of them had discovered a way out.

"There's a keypad near the hatch," you say. "Maybe we're supposed to look for a code?"

Tadakatsu smiled wide. "Has anyone seen this code?" he asked, looking around frantically.

Silence.

"We'll all keep a look out," Tidus said, grinning. "There certainly wasn't a code in the exercise room."

"I opened all the doors that could open," Miyuki called out from the far end, "and I didn't see an exercise room. Where was it?"

"The orange doors won't open unless you hold your Student Handbook up to the small screen," you explain quickly. "It's a pretty nice room, though."

She flashed a small grin your way. "Thanks for the info, I'll have to check it out."

Kaori was next to report. "Monokuma talked to Yosuke and me when we were investigating the dorms. We've each got our own rooms, clearly marked."

"Dio might appreciate Monokuma's choice in labels," Aika says, a smirk on her face.

Dio, of course, took the bait. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Yosuke puts a bundle of keys on the table, forestalling an argument. "There's one for everyone."

Talk stops for a moment as you all grab your specific key. As you put the key with your name on it into your pocket, you briefly wonder what your room looks like.

"Besides finding the laundry room, I too must admit defeat," Tadakatsu says quietly after a moment. "No one found a way out. We're stuck here for the time being."

Stuck. The word sounds strange coming from Tadakatsu, who was so confident only a little while before. That single word sent a chill through the entire room.

Bells filled the silence, and soon Monokuma's face filled every screen and its whimsical voice flowed out of the intercom. "The time is now 10:00 pm. "Nighttime" is now in effect. The cafeteria is now off-limits, and the door will be locked momentarily. I wish you all a good night. Sweet dreams…"

You all glance up at the clock. It read just as Monokuma said, but that didn't make sense.

"I thought it was ten in the morning!" you say.

"We all did," Tadakatsu says. "We thought it was morning, when really…"

"That explains why I'm so damn tired," Kanzaki says, head on the table.

"What…does that mean?" Yosuke asks, a tremor of fear in his voice.

Aika stands up and begins to walk to the door. "It means that we were asleep for a lot longer than we thought." She pauses at the threshold. "Good night."

The rest of you don't move for a moment, but remember Monokuma's words on the intercom and hurriedly follow her out. No one wants to find out what happens when they break a rule.

The group breaks off shortly thereafter, promising to meet for breakfast at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Nearly everyone heads to the hallway lit with blood red lights, anxious to find their own room and sleep. You muse that perhaps they think they'll wake up and realize this "School Life" was just a terrible dream.

Soon, it's only just Tidus and you standing there. "Hey, he says, "I know you're probably tired, but do you want to go throw the Frisbee around, just for a little bit?" He looks away. "I don't mean to pressure you or anything, dude."

He's right, you are tired; today has been a whirlwind of strange events that have left you exhausted. You too want to sleep, but you did tell Tidus you'd throw the Frisbee around with him. You pause, considering.


	5. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 2

You stretch, taking enough time to make your decision. "I've got enough energy for a few throws, sure."

As you both walk to the gymnasium, you sneak a few glimpses at Tidus: he's grinning from ear to ear. When you arrive, you find that while the lights have remained on for some reason, the extravagant red carpet and chairs from earlier have vanished. You also see, with some alarm, that your bag is missing, though your Frisbee rests near the stage.

Tidus grins when he registers your alarm, holding up his hands complacently. "Hey man, relax. I heard Sylvia say that Monokuma moved everyone's bags to their rooms. Your luggage is safe and sound."

You breathe out and nod, and run to get the Frisbee. A thought enters your brain, unbidden: If Monokuma took everyone's things to their rooms, why leave this behind? Chalking up the answer to the broken front pocket, you expertly throw your trusty Frisbee in a nice, easy arc to Tidus.

He seems preoccupied with watching it move through the air rather than trying to catch it, but he manages to snag it all the same. You raise an eyebrow playfully, and he laughs and shrugs. "Ever since I was little, I've always loved seeing things move through the air. I always wondered how they moved, and so I just kept watching." He throws it back, an easy arc just slightly off target, but you manage to grab it easily.

"I suppose it just made sense for you to go into the field of aviation," you say.

He grins. "True that." Was it just my imagination, you think as you throw the Frisbee back, or was that grin a little forced?

Tidus fumbles with the Frisbee, and drops what you considered to be an easy catch to the ground. His face now matching the color of his hair, he grabs it again, changing the subject as he fires it back your direction: "So, you have any passions like mine?"

"Besides getting captured by creepy bears in a crazy game of death, you mean?" you ask playfully, snatching the Frisbee out of the air as it threatens to rocket by you.

"Well, that one's obvious," Tidus laughs, "I had you pegged for one of those the second I saw you."

You smile and pause, Frisbee in hand, to consider the question. "Well, my sister was the brains in the family. If anything, I had a passion for cutting class."

"Hey, isn't your sister an Ultimate, too?"

"Yeah," you say, throwing your Frisbee as gently as possible, "she was the Ultimate—"

"Playtime's over, you two!"

Monokuma snatches the Frisbee out of midair, cackling as it does. The bear lands on one foot, balancing precariously. Its grin is more unnerving at night.

"I wasn't going to care otherwise, but why are you playing at this hour? Why are you not trembling with despair in your beds? Or better yet, why are you wasting time when you could kill someone?"

"Nobody's going to kill anyone," Tidus says, his voice slightly shaky.

Monokuma turns away from you, to stare right in Tidus's eyes. "Are you absolutely sure about that?" it asks, its voice dangerously low. Tidus falls silent.

"Well anyway," the bear says, its voice suddenly whimsical once more, "you guys having so much fun with this Frisbee gave me a great idea! Toodles!" Tidus and you stood alone in the gymnasium once more. Monokuma had left with your Frisbee as quickly as it had come.

"That bastard!" That Frisbee had been helped you through some tough times, and to think Monokuma now had his grubby paws on it…

Tidus's hand claps you on the shoulder, and he steers you swiftly back to the dorms. "We'll think of something," he keeps saying, over and over, a mantra of hope.

The dorms are quiet, everyone probably asleep by this point. You both explore the passageway for a short time, looking for your names. You notice that, like Kaori said, each door is marked with the occupant's name, and a weird sprite of the person. Kind of looks like something out of an old video game...

It only takes a moment to find your door, the fifth one down on the right, between Aimi's and Edwin's. You fumble with your key for a moment, eventually fitting it into the lock. You glance briefly at your icon, thinking that there's a slight amount of resemblance, if you squint.

"You want to go find your room together?" you ask Tidus.

He shakes his head. "Nah, I'll be all right. Thanks, though." He begins to walk away as you open your door. "Night, Agro."

"Night, Tidus," you say, and then close the door behind you.

The first thing that attracts your attention is a piece of paper stuck to one of the pink walls. Once you start reading, you're sure that it's from Monokuma.

Room locks have been equipped with an anti-picking mechanism. The keys are a bit of a pain to make, so please don't lose yours. Every room comes with a shower. But be aware: water is shut off at night. Only the showers in the girls' rooms are equipped with a lock. Lastly, I have prepared a modest gift for each of you: ladylike sewing kits for my female students, and masculine toolkits for my male students. I would tell you how to use them, but go ahead and experiment! Don't think, just feel! Let's all have a killer time!

So much for a shower, you think.

Your room has combined a hideous teamwork of pink walls and dark blue floors. You're not even surprised when you find iron plates over the windows, and a security camera and a small screen on the walls. "Watching me even now, eh Monokuma?" you say, voice low.

There's a door to your bathroom, which you find clean and mercifully only white tile and plain walls. True to Monokuma's word, your bathroom door doesn't lock and no water comes when you turn one of the sink's spigots. Back in the main room, you investigate your large desk, finding your promised toolkit inside one of the drawers. You leave it within easy reach, plastic seal unbroken. You never know when it might come in handy.

Last, on the table is your bag. You feel a wave of exhaustion pass through you, and quickly change into your pajamas and turn out the lights. Wishing you were anywhere else but here, you crawl into bed and close your eyes. Sleep does not come easy that night. You keep waking up several times throughout the night, each time thinking that you're back in your family's apartment, each time remembering where you truly are, each time reminding yourself that your "School Life" isn't just an illusion, but despairingly real. It comes almost as a relief when bells fill the silence and Monokuma's face appears on the screen on your wall, shouting that it's seven o'clock. Remembering your promise for a group breakfast last night, you shuffle out of bed to the shower, carrying new clothes identical to the ones you wore yesterday. You'd brought more variety with you, of course, but this exchange was probably Monokuma's idea of a joke.

You were too numb to care that much, anyway.

The warm water feels nice, at least, and after a longer shower than normal you step out dripping but feeling more refreshed. You glance at the clock, and see that you have only minutes to spare. Making sure you have your key with you, you leave your room, stomach growling slightly.

Kaori is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, it seems, and the smells are enough to make your mouth water. Others seem to be helping out in some regard or another: Sylvia is searching around the kitchen for silverware; Dio is carrying a stack of plates; Tadakatsu is carrying jugs of juice of various flavors and milk; Yosuke is attempting to flip pancakes the size of his head and struggling, so Miyuki takes over. You are about to ask if anyone needs any help, but before you know it the meal is finished, and equal portions of pancakes and sausages are dolloped out. You look around, and see that Tidus and Kanzaki are late; the others are already beginning to dig in. Just as you are about to say something, the stragglers enter at different speeds: Tidus runs in to take the seat to your left, and Kanzaki slouches to a chair in the corner.

For a moment, only the contented sounds of eating and drinking can be heard.

"Kaori, this is amazing!" Tadakatsu says in between bites.

Kaori blushes slightly. "Thanks, but Yosuke honestly did more than I did."

"I…I couldn't flip the pancakes," Yosuke says, stuttering slightly.

Miyuki can't stay silent on this matter, despite still having a bit of food in her mouth. "They were large pancakes! There's no need to be ashamed!"

Conversation subsides after that, but you can tell that the mood is much improved from last night, and it stays that way throughout the meal. Once everyone has eaten their fill and disposed of their trash, Tadakatsu takes charge.

"Now, friends, to business!"

Toshi fits her top hat snugly on her head. "And what business would that be, oh great and powerful leader?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dio says, snorting. "We've got to escape this joint!"

She pouts. "But I wanted to put on a magic show for everyone! Besides, we already looked for a way out and didn't find anything yet!"

Dio glares and her, and Toshi glares back, unafraid. Tadakatsu looks to be at a loss with this sudden conflict, and so Miyuki takes charge. "You know," she says, "did it occur to either of you that we can do both?"

"Splitting up our forces," Tadakatsu says, voice low. His face creases into a smile, and his nod grows more powerful by the second. "A genius maneuver, Miyuki! We'll divide up between those who want to help Dio and those who want to help Toshi! Any objections?"

Kanzaki speaks for the first time that day. "No objections, really, but I don't particularly want to do anything with either of them." He rises to his feet, and casually raises a hand as he leaves.

"Man, what's his deal?" Tidus whispers. You shrug.

No one else follows him out.

Dio sets up at one table, and Toshi at another. The rest of you begin to split up. Yosuke and Aika sit with Toshi, and Tadakatsu and Miyuki sit with Dio.

As Ichigo skips over to Toshi's table, Tidus suddenly runs out, saying that he forgot to do something. You call out to him, but he doesn't stop.

"All those who want to join Toshi's Magnificent Troupe of Amazing Talents, step right this way!" Toshi calls, throwing her blue hat up in the air.

"Those of you who actually give a damn about us being trapped in here, come give us a hand," Dio says. "We'll need every bit of help we can get."

You look from Dio to Toshi and back again. Which group do you want to spend at least the next several hours with?


	6. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 3

Toshi cheers as you head over to her table. "That a boy, Agro!"

Dio shrugs, seemingly unconcerned by your choice, and soon his team, consisting of himself, Tadakatsu, Miyuki, Edwin, Kaori, and Sylvia, leave the cafeteria, announcing that they'll do their work in the gymnasium.

Toshi peers at her team, and you all peer back at her. "I didn't know you were all so good at magic," she says, puzzled.

"That's the thing," Aika says, drumming her hand on the table, "we're really not."

"So why join Toshi's Incredible Club of Magical Amazingness if you aren't all closeted magicians?" Toshi, incredulous, says. "That's, like, the most important requirement!"

"Well, besides Agro," Honzo says, "we all have talents that can entertain a crowd."

You roll your eyes, but one look around the table proves that he's right. Ultimates Magican, DJ, Ballet Dancer, Improvisational Actress, Puppeteer, Pageant Girl, Film Critic, and…Luck.

"A talent show," Honzo continues, "would be a great way to combine our powers and take our minds off this horrible situation. At least, that is what I think." You all seem to respond positively to this idea.

Tatiana nods approvingly. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Honzo," she says.

"Oh my god, I have to get ready!" Ichigo says quickly before running out. Yosuke runs after her, excitement shining on his face, shouting that he has to get his puppet Flopsy.

Aika looks deep in thought. "I've never acted with a puppet before…"

"I'll help transition between acts," Aimi says, her cat eyes glittering, looking more animated than usual. It isn't long before she heads for the Media Center to "prepare."

The cafeteria soon bustles with activity.

Honzo spreads a pile of DVDs out on a table. He looks at one for a moment, muttering to himself, and shaking his head, only to repeat the process with the next disc he picks. Nearby, Yosuke deftly makes "Flopsy," his wooden rabbit, prance across the table, his concentration unbroken by Aika's humorous narration. Tatiana returns in a light blue leotard, and at first you think it's a bit strange to finally see her legs, but then she puts on quiet music and begins to warm-up, and your only thoughts are of her pure talent and grace.

Toshi, watching all the burgeoning acts with you, suddenly sighs. "I guess I'll have to get used to sharing the stage with mere mortals," she says, voice low.

"Well, at least you're going to have an act," you respond. "Not much the Ultimate Luck can do, besides make a mean paper airplane."

Toshi grins, funk forgotten. "That's a pretty cool skill, Luckster," she says. "And if they boo you off the stage, you can always be my assistant to try and redeem yourself!"

"Don't a magician's assistants get cut in half?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Not always, sometimes they drown when the ol' escape-from-a-locked-and-flooded-case fails," Toshi says, elbowing you in the chest. "Relax, Agro, it was just a suggestion." She goes to prepare for her own act, looking more pleased with the talent show idea than she did before.

The rest of the morning, your group works on their acts. You decide that if all else fails, you can show everyone how to make paper airplanes and do tricks with them consistently in the air. You've been entertaining Ichigo with your airplane's flips. Tidus would get a kick out of it, too, you think, wondering where he is.

Once everyone has their routines down, you all decide the order: you will go first; followed by Tatiana; Honzo; the trio of Yosuke, Flopsy, and Aika; Ichigo's "Walk of Desire"; and Toshi's "Magical Suite No. 5" being the grand finale. You look around, and see that everyone seems happy, accomplished. You're the same, somehow, you've seen them in their elements, and they've seen you claw out your own path with nothing but pieces of paper and determination. Personal pride, but also respect, shows clearly on their faces.

You've grown a little bit closer to this small group, you realize, even in this short amount of time.

You're all in the middle of patting each other on the back for a job well done when the familiar bells sound throughout the school, and Monokuma's face appears on all the screens. You glance up at the clock, worried for a moment, but it's still only noon.

"Attention students," the bear says, sipping some orange juice, "please gather in the gymnasium for a beary special announcement. Don't dawdle!" With a cackle, Monokuma ends his little speech, leaving you all floundering in confusion, but with little choice than to do as he said.

"I wonder what happened to Pompadour's team," Aika muses, half to herself.

"Tada…Tadakatsu's with him. Nothing bad could happen to him…" Yosuke says, acquired confidence seemingly lost.

When you barge through the doors, you're relieved to see that everyone is still alive, although a few are slightly singed. Tidus waves to you, and Kanzaki lounges in the corner. Bits and pieces of something are strewn around the polished wooden floor.

Dio, brushing off his leather jacket is shouting even as you walk in. "You're trying to kill us, you bastard!"

Monokuma sits on the edge of the stage, stubby legs dangling off, cackling all the while. "I did warn you that violence against the headmaster was forbidden, did I not?"

"If this is a quibble about semantics," Sylvia says, "Dio technically didn't commit any violence against you." She pauses, searching for the right words. "He just tried to play catch with the wall…using your old body."

Monokuma pauses, considering. "Well, I'll let it slide this time. But next time," it says, leering at each and every one of you, "I won't give you a warning. You'll just be dead as a doornail, no questions asked.

"Is that understood?" You all nod vigorously, its tone too dark for any other reaction.

"Good!" Monokuma's voice was whimsical once again.

"A couple of announcements for you bastards, since you're either pestering me to let you escape or ignoring my game by creating a talent show!" A few questioning glances from the other group follow this announcement, but they don't say anything.

"First," Monokuma begins, "welcome your very first trash collector: Tidus Hayabusa! He gets his very own key to the trash room!" No applause, of course, but Tidus just grins sheepishly as you raise an eyebrow. "I would tell you to make his job as easy and orderly as possible, but I know how you teenagers get! So messy! Oh, there's been another School Rule added, too!" It cackles as you all check your Student Handbooks, and sure enough, there was another rule: The students must keep the trash key on them at all times. No losing it or putting it down somewhere!

Pretty strange rule, you think.

"Is that seriously what you wanted to tell us?" Miyuki says, barging into the conversation.

Monokuma continues as if it hadn't been interrupted. "Second, I can't help noticing that there's still sixteen of you left! 'Why is this,' I wondered to myself, but then I realized!"

Its cackle was long and piercing. "You don't have a motive to kill each other! I'm so sorry for forgetting that important detail!"

Tadakatsu steps forward, as if protecting the rest of you. "If you think a measly motive will magically turn one of us into a murderer, you've got another thing coming!"

"Unexepected alliteration from the cadet, color me surprised," Aika says, smirking despite the situation.

Monokuma hoists itself up. "You all keep saying that, but you have no idea what humans are capable of." It suddenly throws a bunch of papers into the air, and cackles as they fall like diseased confetti to the floor. "Feast your eyes on your motive, you bastards: The Bombed-Out Motive! Enjoy...but not too much..."

You reach for a slip of paper near you, and you notice many doing the same. It's white on one side, but after you turn it over you realize it's not a simple white piece of paper at all, but a photo: a…sexually explicit photo, of yourself and Tatiana.

A photo that couldn't possible be real, and yet here it was, in your hand.

Cries of shock erupt from nearly everyone. The scene is, once more, collectively chaos.

"What the hell is this, Monokuma," Miyuki cries out, ripping her photo in half. "This photo's a lie!"

Dio rips up his own photo. "This is crazy, totally bullshit."

Rage has even infected Tatiana, a perfect picture of fury. "How dare you lie like that, you mean bear!" she shouts above the din, her small voice struggling to be heard.

Monokuma cackles, and waits for the fury to subside slightly before it begins to speak. "If one of you doesn't kill someone within the next twenty-four hours, I'll upload every single one of these sexy photos to the Internet, where they'll be seen by everyone." Its gaze sweeps the room. "Never mind about your careers, all of your lives will be ruined!"

Tadakatsu opens his mouth to speak, but Monokuma doesn't give him a chance. "And if you think people can tell that these obviously are fakes…newsflash: humans are despairingly idiotic!"

The bear lets you all stew on that knowledge for a moment, admiring its handiwork. "Well, my work here is done. Remember, you've got until noon tomorrow, or all of your dreams will be crushed!

"Have fun at the talent show tonight," it quips before vanishing, leaving the sixteen of you alone in the gymnasium.

As if in a daze, everyone begins to leave the gymnasium, a few rip up photos, while most just throw ones they were holding on the floor. It takes only a look to realize that these photos disturb everyone in the group. People leave separately, alone. You feel weird, nauseous and angry, as you stare at the photo you, the unreal you. You feel violated, somehow. Your fingers flex unconsciously.


	7. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 4

You easily rip through the plastic seal—Monokuma wanted you to get at these tools easily. You carefully go over your choices, but soon decide on the hammer. You place it in your pocket, bright orange handle sticking slightly out of your pocket. You make sure that your dress shirt covers the evidence.

Maybe I'll get lucky, and it's nothing, you think to yourself. You almost consider walking out armed with only your trusty Frisbee, but shake your head. It's best to be prepared, whatever comes.

Your heart begins to race as you slink quietly through the corridor. It's awkward walking around with a hammer in your pocket, but you'll get used to it. The strange banging sound is audible when you near your destination, but you still don't see a soul. Your heart in your throat, your right hand near your pocket, you walk into the cafeteria. The banging gets louder with each step.

What awaits you is a strange sight.

Kaori sits at one of the smaller tables, her own hammer in hand, small wooden block in front of her. She's currently so preoccupied with nailing a single nail into the block that she doesn't hear you. You suddenly realize, with a sigh of relief, that this was the sound of the banging. When the nail is almost all the way in, Kaori deftly flips the hammer around in her hand and pries it out with a smooth, practiced motion. Quiet reigns in the cafeteria for a brief moment. You decide to speak when you have the chance.

"Kaori, what are you doing?"

She jumps, beads in her hair clacking. Her eyes are wide, but she soon relaxes. She giggles. "Oh, geez, sorry Agro. I make a lot of noise, huh?"

You nod. "Yeah, I was worried that…something had happened."

Her face falls. "Well, I can see why you would think that. It's been a pretty crazy time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," you say, "that's one way to put it."

She makes an effort to smile. "Sorry I worried you." She points to a nearby seat. "You want to sit down for a little bit? Me and the old wood block are well acquainted by now, but I don't know much about you."

You nod, sliding into it.

Her smile brightens, and she sets the hammer down. "Thanks, I think I need some human company."

You look around the cafeteria, seeing no one else. "Everyone else hiding in their room afraid to come out?"

"Nope," she says, shaking her head, "you've just been looking in the wrong places. Toshi just told me about the talent show." She pauses, looking at you quizzically. "Hey wait, Agro, aren't you the first act?"

You nod wearily. "I hope you like paper airplanes."

She laughs, not unkindly. You still take the opportunity to change the subject. You nod in the direction of the wood block. "Kaori, so what's up with that block?" Another thought comes to you. "And how did you get the hammer?" You pull out the hammer from your pocket. "I thought only guys were given one."

"Oh, Edwin gave me the hammer, he said I could keep it." She grins, and you put your hammer back in your pocket. "I gave him my sewing needle in exchange." In your mind's eye, you see Edwin, mustard-yellow scarf comfortably wrapped around his neck, knitting in an armchair by the large fire. Kaori looks away, uncomfortable, working up the courage to answer your other question. "Hammering in nails has just been my way of dealing with stressful situations." She looks at you again, gauging your reaction. You keep your face carefully composed, and she soon continues. "I know it sounds silly and it's really loud, but it calms me down." She sighs. "I definitely needed to calm down after that happened."

Against your will, your mind snaps back to the gymnasium floor littered with photos, some shredded like yours was. Monokuma's ultimatum echoes in your ears even now. "Yeah, I think we all need that, honestly." You shake your head. "It's just crazy. That's all I can say to myself, you know?"

Kaori nods. "I could hardly sleep last night." She takes a deep breath to calm herself. "I just wonder what my parents are doing, if they're trying to rescue me."

You nod, throat a little tight, thinking of your mom. If she knew where you were, she would move entire mountains in order to save you. "Yeah…I know what you mean."

Kaori gives your hand a slight squeeze, quickly releasing it. "It's going to be fine, Agro. We'll get out of here before anything bad happens, I just know it." She gets up. "Thanks for the talk, Agro. I really needed it."

She gathers her things, smiles at you, and leaves, beads clacking away. The sound slowly fades into silence. You stay seated, enjoying the quiet. You stay there for quite some time, hoping that Kaori's right, and this isn't just the calm before the storm. You can't quite share her optimism.

Aimi wanders in near four in the afternoon. You wave, but she heads to the kitchen. You hear cabinets opening and closing, but soon she wanders back carrying nothing that you can see.

"Find everything you were looking for?" you ask, curious. Aimi was the quietest, the most mysterious.

She sits down at another table, behind you. You don't turn around; if she doesn't want to talk, you won't force her.

"Ready for the talent show?"

"Y-yeah," you stammer out.

She pauses, as if considering your answer. "It's a good distraction. Not really necessary in my opinion, but…fine."

That was the most talkative Aimi had been. You tap the table, thinking. "Even with what Monokuma said?"

You think Aimi chuckles, but it was a low, mirthless chuckle. She doesn't answer your question. Now that you have her talking a little bit, you can't help but be a little curious…

"So," you say, "Aimi, you're the Ultimate DJ. I would've thought that the Ultimate DJ would be—"

"Male?"

You wince, expecting a whirlwind of anger, but none comes. You hear Aimi shrug.

"Change is important. I try to force that change through my music, my words. Not everyone understands."

You backpedal. "I think it's great, Aimi, really. Just unexpected."

She suddenly stands to walk away. Her tie-dye shirt is almost out of sight before she stops and turns around, her cat's eyes piercing your own. "Good."

She continues on her way. You breathe another sigh of relief.

Your stomach begins to grumble, and you head to the kitchen, hoping to find something quick. Your investigation reveals many bland cereals, and you grab a random box and fill a bowl to the brim. You begin to chow down, wondering if anyone else will join you. They can't stave off hunger forever.

When you shovel the last bite into your mouth, Tidus hurriedly walks in, a strange expression on his face. You wave him over.

"How was playing janitor?"

He jumps slightly, as if he wasn't expecting that question. "Oh, fine." He sighs, slumping into a nearby seat. "Actually, not fine. Something's been bugging me for a bit."

You feel the hairs on your neck stand up. "What's up?"

His eyes rove all over the cafeteria, and his fingers drum the table. "I decided to get rid of those weird photos. They were still there when I got there, and it wasn't hard to bag all the bits and pieces up."

You nod. "So what's the problem? Sounds like the job got done."

"But that's just it," he says, voice cracking slightly, "one photo definitely wasn't there anymore. My photo, the one of me and—" He pauses, shaking his head.

"You think someone took it?" you ask, mind racing.

Tidus puts his head in his hands, and doesn't answer.

You open your mouth to say something comforting, but at that moment a frantic-looking Toshi runs in. "Thank Mazabu, I found you, Agro! Come on, the rehearsal's starting!" She tugs you up from your seat and, despite your resistance, in a flash you are out the door. You shout to Tidus that you'll figure something out later.

Toshi rockets you through the hallways, barging into the gymnasium in record time. You quickly notice that she managed to gather every other act there already.

Aimi stands on stage, microphone in hand. Toshi nods at her, pushing you forward, and Aimi launches into your act's introduction. "Ever feel bored in class? Too bored to even put an effort into disrupting the tedium?" The Aimi on stage is completely different from the Aimi you talked to in the cafeteria: her excited words pump up the audience, even though they already know what's coming. She even smiles as she raises a hand dramatically. "Our very own Agro Tenma will demonstrate the hidden tricks of paper airplanes…and who knows, maybe some of his luck will rub off on you the next time you try to entertain yourself at inopportune moments!"

You climb the stairs to scattered cheers, Aimi passing you, her face carefully controlled and neutral once again. Here we go, you think, and begin once you take a deep breath. There are more cheers than you expected when you finish; Yosuke even makes Flopsy clap for you, which in your opinion requires more skill than your entire act. The rehearsal proceeds smoothly, and everyone's act is perfect: Tatiana's routine is without a misstep; Honzo short, simplistic cartoon delivers on the laughs; Aika's running commentary on the life in the day of Flopsy is surprisingly touching; Ichigo's strut is as captivating as ever (you nearly catch yourself drooling); and an assistant-less Toshi amazes by guessing a multitude of cards (although you all had to stop her from trying to conjure a fireball to honor Mazabu).

Soon before the talent show is set to begin, the rest begin to stream in. You're surprised to even see Dio and Kanzaki stroll in. At seven, all sixteen of you are in the gymnasium.

"We don't have to stay, right?" Kanzaki says, grinning lopsidedly. You dislike the way his gaze lingers on you.

"No, anyone is free to leave when they so choose," Honzo says, his face a stiff mask of displeasure as he addresses Kanzaki, "but we have a stellar lineup."

"We've all, like, worked really hard today!" Ichigo interjects. She winks. "Trust me, you don't want to miss my performance."

Tadakatsu looks content. "Whenever you guys are ready, we'll begin."

You look at Tidus, and try to wordlessly communicate that you'll talk after your act. He gets the message, perking up.

The atmosphere is pleasant, just as it was at breakfast this morning.

"Take it away, Mic-Master Aimi!" Toshi calls, and the gym lights go out on cue.

"Agro, that was awesome!" Tidus says to you as you leave the stage to a hearty round of applause at the end of your act. "The way those paper airplanes flipped through the air…" His expression was one of bliss.

"I thought you'd get a kick out of it," you say, grinning, as Tatiana ascends the stairs to more cheers and applause. You suddenly realize that the gym might not be the best place for conversation. "Want to head out and talk, just for a bit? I don't like how we ended things in the cafeteria earlier."

Tidus nods, looking relieved. "Yes please, I was about to ask the same thing."

You aren't the first to leave the show, you realize. From what you can tell, Kanzaki and Sylvia have already left.

The two of you wander the halls for a moment, eventually stopping to talk by the shuttered staircase. You lean up against it, watching Tidus.

He runs a hand through his hair, unsure. "Hey man, can you help me work out?"

You weren't expecting that question, but you nod without hesitation. You had promised. "Sure, but why now? I thought you didn't like exercise."

"It just seems like a good idea," Tidus says, shrugging.

There's got to be more to this, you think as you head to the exercise room, Tidus in tow. A quick scan of your Student Handbook, and you're in. It's empty, as you expected, as nearly everyone was watching the talent show. You stop to think about the best machine to start with. You aren't the most experienced at working out, either, so you figure it's best to ask.

"You want to work on your legs or arms first?"

Tidus pauses, humming in thought. "Legs, I think."

You nod, sliding into the nearby Leg Press near one wall, adjusting the weight to a comfortable level. You demonstrate proper technique for Tidus, pushing out with your legs and slowly bringing it back, keeping control. He nods, grasping the basic context quickly.

"You want to try?" you ask, after a few repetitions.

"Sure," Tidus says, taking your spot. "What should I set the weight to? "Whatever's comfortable," you say. Suddenly, you feel a certain need take over, and you stride quickly to the bathroom. "I'll be right back!" you call out. Tidus nods, carefully setting the weight with a small smile on his face.

A few minutes later, you quickly wash your hands in the sink, eager to help Tidus. You open the bathroom door and your eyes lock onto the Leg Press, and the scene makes your blood freeze. Miyuki, enraged, punches Tidus in the face, knocking him out cold. You are about to say something to stop her, but then she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a kitchen knife. Her weapon glints dangerously.

Everything changes in that instant.

You reach into your pocket, and bring out your hammer. You walk as quickly and quietly as you can, not wanting to alert Miyuki to your presence. I need to save him! you think as your hand grips the bright orange handle tighter.

Miyuki's hand raises, and the knife glints again, before beginning to descend…

You close in, swinging your hammer, trying not to get too close to the knife. Your desperate plan is to hit the knife away. Miyuki sees you out of the corner of her eye, she turns her head instinctively.

You feel like you're in a dream…

Anything you want, I'll help you out...

Your hammer misses its target, instead smashing Miyuki in the temple with a mighty blow. The sound it makes is unforgettable; you'll never forget it.

That's a promise, friend to friend…

The Ultimate Skier's blood flies through the air as she falls, crumpling to the carpet in a heap beside a stack of weights. Some splatters on your shirt. Her knife falls to the floor.

Breathing heavily, eyes wide, you stare at her, bloody hammer still in your hand. "Oh god," you whisper. "Oh no."

Blood trickles slowly out of her wound, her gray eyes glassy and unseeing, staring but seeing nothing. Tidus, mostly unharmed, is slumped at the Leg Press, unaware of what just happened.

Friend to friend…I like the sound of that…

You press a shaky hand to Miyuki's neck, not feeling a pulse. You choke back a sob. She's dead, you think, trembling. I killed her.

Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered. With Miyuki's murder, you are the blackened. You feel nauseous and want to throw up, but there is little time to spare. You can't be discovered.

Tidus can't see this, you think. I've got to get him out of here. He won't be out for much longer.

Blood is also a problem: bloody hammer, bloody shirt.

Time is of the essence.


	8. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 5

You stare at Tidus, still unconscious, and then look at your hammer threatening to drip blood on the carpet. You shudder. You can't decide what to do. Miyuki's cold gray eyes are still staring straight at you, you imagine. You bend down and gently close her eyes with a shaking hand, hoping that will help spur you to action. You still feel her lingering there, screaming furiously into the silence of your mind.

Youdidthisyoudidthisyoudidthisyoudidthis—

You spring up in horror, dropping your bloody hammer, wanting to run but knowing that's impossible. Looking around the room desperately, you notice the many stacks of weights littering the room, and your panicking mind seizes on an idea.

I need to cover her up, you think, moving one of the stacks along the ground with great effort. Maybe then she'll be quiet. Filled with a level of adrenaline you have never known, moving the stacks of weights is at once the work of minutes and the most exhausting work you have ever experienced. You are careful not to touch the body, boxing it in on all sides with the large stacks of weights, and then covering the top with a few larger weights.

Miyuki's "tomb" is complete.

There is an odd pile of weights near the Leg Press now, but at least you can't see her anymore…and that is enough for now. Miyuki's spectral voice subsides, and you breathe deeply. You're exhausted, but you're beginning to calm down slightly.

You see your bloody hammer on the floor and hurriedly snatch it up, swearing under your breath. Blood gets on your hands…or was it there before? With a hurried glance at Tidus, who luckily has not opened his eyes yet, you head to the bathroom again, being careful to not get any blood on the door handle. There, you take off your bloody dress shirt, and bunch it into a ball near the sink. Your first priority is your hammer, and you spend minutes running it under the warm water, scrubbing furiously with paper towels to get every last visible trace of blood off. Eventually, you are satisfied, and dry off the now spotless hammer. Bloody, wet paper towels are in the trash, but you can't do anything about that. Your dress shirt obviously can't be seen in its current state, and you don't feel safe carrying it in the halls, so you decide to leave it hanging in the far stall for now. You tuck your hammer back into your pocket, trying to keep it hidden as much as possible. Shining with sweat, you leave the bathroom again.

Tidus is finally stirring as you approach the Leg Press, and he soon opens his eyes, groaning faintly. He squints up at you, a new black eye blooming on his face. "Agro? How long have I been out?"

You shrug, trying to remain calm and keep your voice steady. "I'm in the dark, man. I just got out of the bathroom myself."

He puts a hand to his head, wincing as he touches his black eye. "God, this hurts."

You hold out a hand to help him up. "You want to tell me what the hell happened?"

Tidus nods, taking your hand, and you pull him to his feet. You are determined to keep Tidus's back to the moved weight stacks, to the bloodstained carpet, to Miyuki's body.

"You want to talk about it somewhere else?" you ask, and to your relief he nods. Quickly, the two of you walk out the door, and it's a relief when it swings shut behind you. Miyuki's body is still hidden for now. Amazingly, Tidus, still a bit dazed, doesn't realize anything is amiss.

Maybe I really am the Ultimate Luck, you think to yourself as Tidus suggests you both head to the cafeteria. When you get there, you set him down in a chair near the kitchen, and promptly head to the freezer. You quickly find an ice pack, and Tidus sighs in relief when he applies your find to his injured eye.

His green eye peers out at you. "Thanks, Agro. I really appreciate your help, buddy."

You try to smile. "Not a problem, man. It's just a black eye, and I've had my share of them in the past." You lean back in your chair. "Edwin's not needed this time."

Tidus tries to laugh, but mostly winces from the pain. You glance at the clock: it's 8:30 in the evening. When did it happen?

"Hey," Tidus says, looking at you strangely, "what happened to your shirt?"

You laugh, but begin to break out in a cold sweat. "Oh, I don't usually wear that type of shirt when I work out. I'll go back for it later," you say, deflecting. "However, I'm the one asking the questions here." Tidus holds his free hand up in surrender.

He sighs. "You know how I suddenly wanted to work out just out of the blue?" You nod, and he continues. "The photo thief really freaked me out, man. I thought there might be a chance they might attack me, so I wanted to be ready." He suddenly looks alarmed. "Not 'ready' to kill them or anything! Just to fight them off or be strong enough to run away!"

You nod and smile, appearing to understand. Tidus, bolstered by your acceptance, continues, shifting his ice pack slightly. "Well, I was right," he says grimly, "they did come after me, right when you went into the bathroom." He chuckles softly. "I'm lucky they only gave me a black eye. They seemed about ready to kill me, as crazy as it sounds." You remember Miyuki's knife, glinting as it descended towards Tidus's defenseless chest.

It's definitely not crazy, Tidus, you think. It's not…crazy…at all…

"Who attacked you?" you ask after a slight pause.

Tidus shakes his head. "I…I'd rather not say." He grins sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry man, I'm just embarrassed, that's all." He stands up. "Besides, I think they scared themselves. I don't think I'll have to worry about them again." He pauses. "I'll talk to them tomorrow, and not alone, either."

You also stand, trying not to dwell on the impossibility of his last sentence. "Well, as long as you're sure," you say, trying to stay casual, but you are secretly relieved that Tidus is so close-mouthed. At this rate, the others won't discover what you've done for quite some time.

After this, the two of you sit in silence.

Tidus suddenly laughs to himself after a while, startling you. "That doesn't mean I want to stop working out, though!" He points at his ice pack. "This black eye is proof that I've got a long way to go."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Sure," Tidus says, beginning to walk, "I'll rest up tonight." His pace picks up, and he sprints out the door, still holding his ice pack gingerly. "Good night, Agro!"

Good night, Tidus, you think as you watch him go. You glance again at the clock, and are shocked to find out that an entire hour has passed. The talent show will be over soon, you think, and you realize that it would help if the others saw you again, at least for a little bit. You head back to the gymnasium, heart pounding, wondering how you would react if anyone noticed anything strange…

Luckily, it's still dark when you re-enter. Toshi is nearing the end of her act. She swoops her top hat off her head, swinging it at her audience, and purple plastic balls fly out. Everyone scrambles to catch one, and you do too, in order to blend in. "You've all been a great audience!" Toshi calls out, breathing hard but smiling wide. She flips her top hat back onto her head with a swift, practiced motion. "Toshi's Magnificent Troupe of Mystique thanks you for your support, and we'll be here for the foreseeable future!" No one chuckles at her attempt at humor, but there is loud applause, and the lights go on.

Tadakatsu claps you on the back. "Nice job out there, Agro. I found your act simple, but entertaining. Plus, I now know how to make a paper airplane now!"

"Never underestimate the power of knowledge," Aika mutters to you as she passes, smirk on her face. You force a smile as well.

Dio, walking with Yosuke (but also keeping a close eye on Ichigo, who's skipping in front of them) is talking more excitedly than you've ever seen him. "I'm telling you, the way you were moving that bunny around was just great, man. And coming from the Ultimate Pinball Wizard, that's high praise!"

Edwin walks by with Tatiana in tow, complimenting her in his accented Japanese. "Your performance was…excellent, art in motion. Where did you study before Hope's Peak?" Tatiana's face reddened with every word he uttered, and she couldn't seem to stop smiling.

Kaori grins at you, and mouths, "Nice job!" Aimi nods at you, and you swear she smiles, just a little bit…

As you all begin to file out, Honzo looks a little disappointed in the lack of attention he's getting, but Toshi whacks him on the back, similar to what Tadakatsu did to you…only a lot harder.

"Cheer up, my boy!" she says as he sputters. "Toshi's Wily Wizarding Group doesn't hog credit! We all did great!"

Honzo corrects his orange glasses, muttering, "I am not 'your boy…'"

You hold your breath as the crowd passes the exercise room, but no one goes in; no one calls out that they need a late night workout session to blow off some steam. The screens in the long hallway light up, and Monokuma announces to everyone that it's ten o'clock, and nighttime has begun.

"Breakfast tomorrow, same time?" Tadakatsu calls out a few minutes later, his hand on his door handle.

"Sounds good to me!" Ichigo calls out a couple doors down from you. She waves enthusiastically. "Good night, everyone!" You all head into your separate rooms, and the moment you shut your door you lie down on your bed, utterly exhausted. Lying, acting normal, has never been so difficult. You toss the purple ball up in the air; you'd held onto yours when a few people left their prizes back on the gymnasium floor, Toshi sweeping them into her seemingly bottomless top hat.

While everyone else gets ready for bed, you keep tossing the purple ball, catching it easily. It was a light ball, but not without a bit of weight behind it. You remember your bloody dress shirt hanging in the exercise room's bathroom, and think of how you were going to dispose of it. You could always hide it in your room, but what if everyone combed through the dorms? You can't take that chance—you know you have to dispose of the shirt permanently. Its color ties you irrevocably to the crime.

And then it hit you: the trash room. Tidus had mentioned an incinerator earlier today.

As long as I get the shirt in the incinerator, I'm home free, you think to yourself, hope slightly filling up the recesses of your mind. Once you got rid of the shirt, there would be no damning evidence against you.

You wait a few hours before you set out again, although you are tempted to go sooner. The sooner you go, the faster the evidence can be destroyed, but the longer you wait, the chance is larger that everyone will be asleep. At one in the morning, no one stirs as you slink down the hallway, passing the many rooms of your fellow classmates.

You remember, with a slight shudder, that there is now one major difference between them and you. You put it out of your mind as you head away from Hotel Despair, winding quickly through the darkened hallways lit up by the different colors. You hold your Student Handbook up to the screen, and you're soon inside the exercise room again. It's exactly as you left it, weight stacks exactly where you dragged them. You pause near them, looking down, see a brief glimpse of what is hidden, and move on. It's her fault, you think to yourself as you grab your bloody dress shirt from the restroom. You try not to look at it.

I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

This thought dominates your consciousness the entire time you walk to the trash room. Thankfully, everyone is still in their dorm rooms, most likely asleep. You head down the white hallway, and open the trash room door swiftly.

One look in the room is enough to make your heart sink. There is an incinerator in the back of the room, just like Tidus said, but what he forgot to mention were the shutters that blocked your path.

These must be what his trash key unlocks, you think miserably. There was no way you'd be able to get even close to the incinerator. You look at your bloody dress shirt, mind racing of a good place to hide it in your room, when your next idea hits you: the ball. Thrown just right, you could hit the button to start the incinerator. You take it out of your pocket, where you had absentmindedly stashed it before.

You breathe deeply, holding the ball in your right hand. The button was nearly thirty feet away. It would be a very difficult throw for anyone, even someone like an Ultimate Baseball Star, let alone you.

But you had to try.

You back up, giving yourself some room. You pause, looking only at the button. You only had one shot at this. You run forward, letting the round missile go, and it sails through a gap in the shutters. You can't breathe as it sails through the air. It seems like it's in the air for an hour.

You can't believe when it hits the button dead on, and the incinerator begins to roar to life. What the hell was that? you think to yourself as you ball your bloody shirt up. Compared to the first thrown, this one was easier, but you can't help grin when the shirt lands in the incinerator perfectly. You have no way of shutting the incinerator off, but the damning evidence will soon be destroyed.

You leave the trash room, the only evidence you'd been there a small purple ball on the floor.

After the short journey back to your room and a quick change into your pajamas, you collapse victoriously on your bed. You think back over the events of the last hour. Is this what it means to be the Ultimate Luck?

You'd always thought talents were bullshit, but…

You turn on your side, trying to clear your exhausted mind of everything that had happened. Somehow, you begin to feel yourself drift off, but just before you are about to sink into the darkness of sleep's oblivion, you hear Miyuki's voice again in your head. She sounds different than before, almost playful.

Do you love me, Agro?

Her tone was one you had never heard her use during your brief stay at Hope's Peak Academy. It was a tone that makes you shoot upright in bed and your blood to freeze in your veins.

"What the hell, man?" you whisper in the darkness.

Miyuki laughs in your head, a laugh you have never heard before in your life. I thought so, she whispers.

Tears suddenly threaten to fall from your eyes. You wipe the offenders away quickly. "What the hell is going on? What's happening to me?" you ask the darkness, punching your pillow. Miyuki doesn't answer or speak again. You lie back down and begin to get comfortable, but you soon find you can't get to sleep.

It is the longest night of your life.


	9. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 6

I only hit her once, you think, remembering with vivid clarity how your hammer violently connected with Miyuki's head. How could she have died from just one swing?

You think of her falling, of her blood arcing through the air, splattering the carpet and your shirt. You remember how she didn't move after that, how there was no pulse when you placed a shaking hand to her neck. You remember how her eyes just stared at you. No…it was definitely you that killed her. Even if it was only one swing…

Looking around your dark room, you imagine that she's staring at you even now. For the first time in a long time, you duck completely under your covers, shivering with fright.

I'm sorry, Miyuki, I didn't mean to do it, you think, desperately hoping that somewhere she hears you. I just wanted you to get away from Tidus, I swear!

You wait for a moment, hoping that Miyuki's voice comes to you and forgives you for what you've done. You wait in the darkness, hearing only the clock as the seconds pass. There is only silence; no one comes. You spend the next few minutes sobbing into your pillow, and the next few hours staring into the darkness, waiting for morning.

It is strange to feel relief when you hear Monokuma's announcement, but it is undeniably relief. You quickly take a shower, barely feeling the warm water. You take a deep breath to steady yourself. I need to stay calm, or the others will definitely think something's up, you think as you shrug into another white dress shirt.

It is right when you reach for the door that a buzzer sounds, and it takes a minute for you to realize that it's from your doorbell. When you open your door, Tadakatsu stands there, looking worried.

"Agro, were you out of your room at all last night?" You shake your head, not trusting yourself to say anything. Tadakatsu sighs. "It was worth a shot." He points down the hallway. "We're meeting outside the cafeteria. Dio has…an announcement to make." He walks down to Edwin's door and rings the doorbell, leaving you to make your way down the hallway alone. A good number have already turned up.

"Hey Dio, could you please move?" Kaori was saying as you approach, "We need to get breakfast ready."

Dio blocks the cafeteria entrance, looking a bit strange. "No can do. Tadakatsu is rounding everyone up, and then we're taking a trip to the exercise room." He scans the crowd. "You hear that, you sick bastard? I found your handiwork!" You try to act as confused as everyone else. So, it's happened, you think, slightly amazed at how calm you feel. Your heart isn't even pounding.

Kanzaki slouches off without a word, undoubtedly heading for the exercise room. Dio yells at him to stop, but he doesn't listen.

"We can't have him tampering with anything," Dio says. "Someone go after him already!" A few jump at his sharp tone, but Aika is not one of them.

"Relax, Afro, I'll keep an eye on him." She quickly leaves as well. Dio relaxes slightly, but he does not answer any questions. The others quickly join in the throng. Questions begin to shoot out of your fellows' mouths, but just as soon as Dio opens his mouth to answer one of them, bells interrupt him, and soon Monokuma's voice fills the school.

"Attention, all students! Head straight for the gymnasium on the double!" It chuckled gleefully for a moment. "I suppose you can check out the exercise room, but I want you here within two minutes! We've got a lot to do…"

You all glance at each other, and then begin running, navigating the multi-colored corridors as a crowd, miraculously not stepping on anyone's feet in the process.

"What is it, do you think?" Ichigo asks the group at large, but no one answers. Dio reaches the exercise room first, and merely points inside. You all pool in…and see her.

Someone has partially dismantled your makeshift tomb, you realize. The Ultimate Skier, pale and still, lies on her back, where she fell the night before. The way her head was positioned, her wound was partially hidden, but the bloodstained carpet around her head reveals the truth: Miyuki Hiyama was murdered.

Only you knew who had done it, however. You see Tidus start beside you out of the corner of your eye.

Aika and Kanzaki stand there, looking similarly grim.

Before anyone can react, Aika ushers everyone out into the hall again. "Come on, you guys," she says, pointing down the hallway, face set, "we've got to get to the gymnasium. No telling what Beary's got cooked up today." There was no trace of her customary smirk anywhere.

"How can you just say that," Kaori says, hands covering her mouth, "Miyuki's dead!"

Dio sighs. "Nah, she's right. Who knows what the hell the bear will do if we're late for his little party." He pauses. "We might end up like her, or worse."

Collectively stunned and shocked, the fifteen of you head to the gymnasium. You try to keep your thoughts in order, but you kept wondering, what the hell has Monokuma planned?

The bear sighs contentedly as you all pour into the gymnasium.

"Hello, hello! So glad to see you all up bright and early and on-time!" It pretends to count in its head. "Oh, I'm surprised, there's only fifteen of you today. Now why could that be…?" It asks, a paw on its chin, pretending to ponder.

"Cut the crap, you bastard!" Dio snarls. "What happened to Miyuki? Who killed her?"

The bear pauses, but soon laughs long and hard. "Well obviously, it was one of you guys who killed her! I mean, I thought that was obvious!"

Dio blanches, and falls silent. For all his bravado, Monokuma actually saying those words shatters his confidence. Looking around the room, you see every face is a picture of confusion and fear to varying degrees. You yourself have been no stranger to fear these last twelve hours…

Monokuma basks in the stunned silence, and then cannot contain itself any longer. "Come on, you guys, didn't we go over this? What happened to your friend wasn't that big of a deal: one of you just killed Miyuki so you could graduate!" Its grin widens. "It's just part of the rules! There's nothing wrong with it!"

Graduation…that's right, I can graduate now…I can get out of here…

"And…w-what if you're lying?" Tatiana stammers out, more pale than you've ever seen her. Edwin lays a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but he too looks visibly paler, perhaps even a little sick.

Monokuma shakes its head. "Nope! It was one of you guys that killed her!" Its gaze roves the crowd, and you have the uncomfortable feeling that it lingers on you. "The person who did the deed should know that perfectly well."

Unconsciously, the fifteen of you glance at each other, undoubtedly trying to see if you can catch the killer just by looking at them. You mold your face into as neutral of an expression as you can manage.

Yosuke adjusts the brim of his hat, looking nervous. "That's the truth?"

Tadakatsu steps forward. "Where's the evidence, Monokuma! I just can't accept something like that! That one of us would kill someone, it's just unthinkable!"

"Calm down, both of you," Sylvia says, a layer of instructive authority in her voice now.

"Besides," Kanzaki says, a ghost of a smirk on his face, "Monokuma's been watching us the whole time. You'd think that if anyone knew who killed her, the teddy bear watching all the security cameras would." He pauses to glance at Monokuma. "Isn't that right?"

Monokuma nods happily. "Yes indeed! I saw the whole thing, and boy, was it a doozy!"

"So," Kanzaki continues, "that person gets to graduate now, right?"

Yes, you think. I'll be leaving soon.

Monokuma's laugh sent a shiver down your spine. "You think it's that easy to graduate, huh?" it asks the group, looking around. "You just have to ax someone and then you're home free? Well, it's not that easy!"

"Not that easy?" The question left your mouth before you could stop it.

Monokuma looks at you, grin widening. "Quite the contrary. The real fun starts right now!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aika asks, eyes narrowing.

Monokuma laughs again. "I'd thought you'd never ask." It jumps up on stage with a mighty leap. "What I mean is, a few hours after the corpse is discovered, we'll hold a Class Trial, where the murderous blackened will face off against the righteous Heroes of Light!"

You're all speechless at this pronouncement, so it continues. "The question you'll have to figure out at this particular Class Trial is who killed Miyuki Hiyama? That answer will be decided by a vote at the end of the trial, you hear?" It chuckles. "If you come up with the right answer, the blackened villain will be punished, and everyone else will continue to live here in harmony. But get the answer wrong," it says, and it seems to look right into your eyes, "and the blackened will live on and escape from his or her sin, leaving the Heroes of Light to be punished in their place!"

I'm the villain? you think to yourself. You have a hard time wrapping your head around that thought.

Tidus speaks up for the first time that day. "What exactly do you mean by…punished? You've, uh, said that a lot." he asks, eyes wide.

Monokuma's happy laugh turns into a dark chuckle. "I'm talking executed, boys and girls!"

As cries of shock echo throughout the room, you feel your body go numb. Executed? I could die…or force fourteen people to die? You glance at Tidus, who's attempting to stammer out a reply and failing. …Even Tidus could die?

"What, you mean we could die just because we get the answer wrong?" Ichigo cries out. She looks around wildly. "Whoever killed her, just confess!" Her pink eyes are wet with tears. "This isn't funny!"

"Oh, I agree," Monokuma says, laughing, "this is a very serious matter! You can't make this decision lightly! After all, your lives are on the line!"

Dio punches his hand. "Oh, you bastard bear, leave her alone already!"

Monokuma does not look intimidated, only confused. "I'm not a bastard bear! I'm a very friendly bear, especially because I'm about to give you all a gift before you start searching for clues to lead you to the blackened!" The bear pulls out a black file with a large red number 1 on it. "This file has some data that I gathered on the corpse! Here's the first of hopefully many Monokuma Files!" It throws the Monokuma File to Aika, who catches it easily in her gloved hands.

"What's exactly in this file?" she asks, not deigning to open it yet.

"Oh, you know, the cause of death and stuff. What's in there will change depending on what I think is fair!" Monokuma says, sighing contentedly. The bear laughs again. "Well, anyway, the best of luck on your investigation! I'll get in touch with you all again soon!" Monokuma disappears, leaving the fifteen of you bewildered and alone.

"Hey, look at the School Rules," Tidus calls out, looking at his Student Handbook. "The bear's added a few."

You lean over to take a look at his Handbook, others taking their own out. Tidus was right, Monokuma had added a few rules pertaining to the Class Trial: when you would have one, who would live…and who would die. These rules made it official. You glance around the room, looking at everyone. It was a strange thought to look around a room full of people and realize that in order for you to survive the day, they would all have to die.

No one speaks for a moment.

"I'll read the Monokuma File," Aika says, flipping it open, "but should we split up after that?"

"That's what they do in those cartoon mystery shows," Yosuke says, nodding.

Dio sighs, crossing his arms. "This isn't some show, kid," he says gruffly.

Kaori jumps to his defense. "Yosuke's just trying to help, Dio!" she says. "We'll be able to get more clues that way, too!"

Honzo nods, straightening his orange glasses. "It is worth noting that in those cartoons they always get the criminal in the end." He looks around, gauging everyone's reaction. "Today will be no different."

"All right, all right! Just stop jumping down my throat," Dio says, patting his hair. "We'll split up, fine."

You all turn toward Aika, and she clears her throat, savoring the spotlight. How much does it tell them, you wonder, suppressing a shudder.

"Let's see," Aika begins, "The victim in this case is Miyuki Hiyama. The body was found in the exercise room near the Leg Press machine. The exact time of death is unknown, but the cause of death is a single wound to her head made by a blunt object." She stops, and looks around.

"That's all the File gave us?" Toshi asks incredulously, eyes wide. "We're positively doomed! I'm going to see Mazabu sooner than I thought, and that is not a good thing!"

Ichigo sniffles, looking like she was about to cry.

"So," you say, "who's investigating where?"

The File barely told them anything, you think, reassuring yourself. There's nothing left that points to me, anyway.

Edwin coughs gently into his scarf. "I will be at the crime scene," he says. "The File might not be accurate." He pauses as he adjusts his glasses and, for the first time, pulls his arms through the sleeves of his doctor's coat. "Besides, I have a…secret weapon."

"I'll go with him," Tatiana says breathlessly, wonder in her eyes as she gazes at his transformation.

"I'll make sure no one tampers with the crime scene or the good doctor's investigation," Sylvia says calmly.

"You mind if I join you?" Dio asks, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I'm not cut out for investigating, but I've got the eyes of a hawk."

Sylvia smiles politely. "Be my guest, Dio." The four begin to depart together.

Kanzaki starts to wander off, but not before calling out, "I'll be interviewing each and every one of you before the trial, so don't disappear."

Honzo quickly follows him, saying that he didn't trust him walking alone unattended at a time like this. There was something about Kanzaki that put you on edge, as well…

"I can't do this," Ichigo says, whimpering. "This is crazy." She sits down where she is. Kaori and Tadakatsu, both looking shell-shocked in their own way, join her on the floor, trying to comfort her. It's obvious that they won't be investigating at all.

"Maybe the killer tried to dispose of some evidence last night," Tidus muses. He looks around. "Anyone want to head to the trash room with me?" He holds up his trash key helpfully, attempting to smile.

"Who wants to roam the hallways with Toshi?" Toshi asks, trying to be chipper. "We'll find something, I'm sure of it!"

You won't find anything, you think to yourself. It's a ruthless thought, but Monokuma has forced you down this path, these thoughts of either you or them. Your life depends on it, after all. You try to calm your now-racing heart.

You have to fill the investigation time somehow…


	10. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Part 7

"I'll go with you, man. We're a team," you say to Tidus, attempting a grin. He grins back, already looking more confident in his plan. You notice that his black eye, while noticeable, is healing nicely. Toshi, whooping, drags Yosuke out by his sweatshirt, with Aika trailing behind. Aimi joins Tidus and you without a word.

"Shall we go?" Tidus asks the two of you, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"We'll follow you, glorious janitor," you say, smirking when your remark elicits a laugh from your friend. For a brief moment, you can forget the situation you're in. Aimi says nothing, following close behind.

"It's probably not going to help," Tidus says as the three of you walk under the green lights. The exercise room's door was closed, unfortunately not allowing you a glimpse of what the others were investigating. "There probably wasn't anything to get rid of."

You grimace when you think of your bloody shirt, and force yourself to say, "There might be something, Tidus."

"People panic in these sorts of situations," Aimi says, speaking for the first time since you split off from the rest. Tidus laughs awkwardly at her statement. Naturally, her words do not comfort you, and you wish for a split second that anyone other than Aimi had joined you.

As you near the trash room your mind shifts to what you know is inside, what you'll find while investigating. If I can distract them with the incinerator, you think as Tidus opens the trash room door, maybe I can get the ball without them noticing.

On cue, Tidus frowns at the running incinerator, and turns to the two of you. "I definitely didn't leave it on the last time I left."

"So, someone's been here?" you ask.

Tidus nods. "Yep, it looks like it." He suddenly grins. "Seems like this trip wasn't a waste of time after all." He pulls his trash key out of his pocket. You take the time to locate the purple ball. It's unfortunately located near the incinerator, so it will probably be only a matter of time…

"Wait." Aimi's voice freezes Tidus in his tracks just as he was about to unlock the shutters. She points through the shutters and your heart sinks. "You see that ball?"

"Hey, yeah, you're right, I totally didn't see that before!" Tidus says, excited at their discovery. "You think it's what the killer used to turn on the incinerator?"

"Has to be," you say, swearing repeatedly in your mind, "there's no way they could get close the incinerator without your key, man." You pause. "Hell of a shot, though."

Aimi looks at you, piercing you with her gaze as Tidus unlocks the shutters. "Praising a murderer?"

Your blood turns to ice. "N-no, give me a break, that's crazy." Get off my case, Aimi, you think as she stares at you. You are relieved when she turns away to inspect the running incinerator.

Tidus looks thoughtful as he picks up the ball. "Agro's right, though, in a way." He tosses it to you, and you catch it easily. "The killer had to throw it through the shutters and hit that small button from about thirty feet, and on the first try, too." You silently thank him for his assistance, and he smiles and winks at you.

Tidus then glances between you and Aimi, brow furrowed. "We know anyone who can do that?" Another thought comes to him. "Where'd they get this, anyway?"

You were about to claim ignorance when Kanzaki burst into the trash room, Honzo right on his heels. "Excellent, the trash team's right where they should be," Kanzaki mutters, just loud enough for you to hear it. Tidus turns off the incinerator finally, and the room quiets significantly.

"I'll interview you all one at a time," Kanzaki says, glancing at the three of you, his gaze lingering on Tidus's black eye.

"I will be assisting the process," Honzo says, a noticeable trace of pride in his voice. Kanzaki rolls his eyes at that pronouncement.

"Aimi, let's go."

Tidus and you were left alone in the trash room for a moment. He looks inside the incinerator hopefully while you glance nervously at the door. What will Kanzaki ask me? you wonder.

Tidus sighs, and steps away from the incinerator. "Whatever they were trying to get rid of, they did a good job of it."

You try not to let your relief show on your face. "Hey, you doing okay, Tidus?" you ask, trying to change the subject.

Tidus looks at you for a long moment, and then shakes his head. "No, I'm really not, Agro." He looks truly miserable, you realize. "Miyuki was the one who attacked me yesterday. She punches me in the face, and then winds up dead. She's practically in the exact same spot, too!" His eyes plead with you. "You don't think I did it, do you?"

"I…Why would she attack you? You're practically harmless."

"She was just so angry about the photo, the one Monokuma had of me and her," Tidus says, leaning on the incinerator, suddenly weak, legs shaking slightly. "I think she was afraid of it being real…of there being a period of time we didn't remember."

You nod wordlessly, remembering Aika's words only two days ago: It means that we were asleep for a lot longer than we thought. How much longer was "a lot longer," anyway?

Honzo's return puts an abrupt end to your conversation, and Tidus is the next to be interviewed. He looks nervous as he leaves, and despite your own nervousness you throw him the ball to cheer him up. Tidus fumbles with it, but miraculously on. He's definitely got to work on that, you think as you find yourself alone in the trash room.

You try not to think about the fact that he won't get that time, not if everyone else is executed in the trial in your place. As you inspect the incinerator, you think about death. Does it hurt to die? you wonder as you find not a trace of your old dress shirt, just as Tidus had said. You figure that whatever Monokuma has planned for the executions, they cannot be anything quick and painless.

It is hard to banish these thoughts when Honzo returns and ushers you out into the hall for your interview.

Kanzaki stands just outside the door, and he flips to the next page in his small notepad. Tidus and Aimi were nowhere in sight, but Honzo answers your unspoken question: they left to investigate elsewhere.

Kanzaki readies his pen, and launches into the first question.

"Agro Tenma, what were your whereabouts after the talent show started?"

You pause, collecting your thoughts. "Well, I was the first act. I had planned to stay through the entire thing—"

"You left?" Kanzaki asks, cutting you off, his pen never ceasing. You wonder what he's writing.

"Yeah," you say, slightly irritated at his interruption, "so did you."

Kanzaki sighs, and his pen stops for a brief moment as he looks at you. "Being defensive doesn't really help you here." He poises his pen again. "Why did you leave?"

You want to mention that you were irritated at his interruption more than his question, but think better of it. You need to remain calm. "Tidus wanted my help with something."

"And what was that?" Kanzaki's smirk was slightly maddening. "Did you go into the exercise room at all?"

You pause, knowing what was coming. "Yeah. He wanted me to help him get started on working out. So that's where we were for a little bit."

"And what time was that exactly?"

You think back. "Maybe 7:30, or some time around there."

Kanzaki makes a note in his notepad. "And what happened there?"

Everything, you think. This whole mess happened there.

"After I showed Tidus how to use one of the machines, I went to the bathroom." You put your hands in your pockets, realizing that subconsciously you had put your hammer in your pocket again. "I was in there for a little while, and when I came out, Tidus had been attacked. He was just waking up when I left the bathroom."

"Was there anyone else in there at the time?"

"No, just Tidus." Miyuki was underneath a stack of weights.

Kanzaki makes another note on his notepad, motioning you to continue, looking unconcerned to hear that Tidus had been attacked.

"Did he tell you who attacked him?" Honzo asks, curiosity plain on his face.

You pause, and then nod. "Yeah, he told me a couple minutes ago." You look at your interviewers, making sure you have their complete attention. "Miyuki was the one who attacked him."

Honzo's expression was one of shock. Kanzaki grins for the first time, and writes a note of what you said.

He waves his pen at you. "Continue, Agro."

You take a deep breath to steady yourself. "Well, obviously, after that I got him to the cafeteria, and we talked for a bit before we split up again." You try to keep the nervous quaver out of your voice. "I managed to make it to the end of Toshi's act, and then we all went to bed."

"That's it? You didn't get up and roam the halls at night?"

"As I told Tadakatsu already, I was in bed all last night." I wandered the halls, threw my dress shirt into the incinerator, and nobody can prove it was me.

Kanzaki sniffs, nodding once. "That's…adequate for now." He peers into your eyes. "I imagine we'll find out more at the trial."

You shrug noncommittally, and begin to walk away. There's nothing left in the trash room to discover. You weren't able to clean up the last piece of evidence. You wander the halls aimlessly for only a moment, Honzo and Kanzaki trailing somewhere behind, when bells sound throughout the school.

Even before Monokuma begins speaking, you know it's time.

"Hey, I'm getting tired of waiting here…so let's get this Class Trial started, already! Please go through the giant red doors on the first floor of the school zone. See you soon!"

Monokuma's chuckle fades into silence, and you start toward your destination. When you see the red doors after a minute of walking alone down the corridor, no one around, something makes you turn toward the exercise room, just for a second. Dio's there, frowning near the doorway. You briefly wonder what is so interesting, but then you move on. Your hand closes on the handles, and you pull the red doors open with a mighty effort.

An utterly plain room, with gray walls and gray stone floor, awaits you. The only thing out of the ordinary is an elevator along the far wall. Mostly everyone is here, you notice, as you stand next to Tidus. You notice that Ichigo seems more stable now than when she was sitting on the floor of the gymnasium. No one talks; everyone seems lost in thought, thinking of the trial, of the identity of the killer, of what's going to happen when it's all over.

Dio, Honzo, and Kanzaki all stroll in, and then all fifteen of you are here. Monokuma's face appears on the lone screen in the room, and it instructs you to head into the elevator to get to the courtroom…the courtroom that will "decide your fates."

You could've done without that reminder.

You all file in, fitting comfortably, and the doors close automatically. You feel the elevator descend, descend, and descend some more. You feel like you're going deep into the bowels of the earth.

"We'll figure out who killed you, Miyuki," Kaori says quietly, her voice somehow carrying over the noise of the elevator. No one responds, and the rest of the trip is spent in silence.

You glance around at everyone. Do they suspect me? Did they find anything out? They don't reveal what they're thinking.

After a few minutes of steady descent, the elevator stops gently, and the doors open. You've arrived at the courtroom, a hideous place of color and style. Candlesticks and curtains adorn the walls, their red clashing with the blue walls. The checkered tiles are nothing new. In the center of the room, arranged in a circle and situated on red carpet, are sixteen stands. You all notice that Miyuki has a stand of her own, her portrait marking her spot. Her smiling face, devoid of color, is crossed out by two ski poles.

Monokuma sits on its throne near the circle, cackling when you arrive. "Come on, my students, find your assigned seats! No time to marvel at the architecture; we've got a trial to do and punishment to dole out!" It is shaking with excitement as you all step forward. Ichigo opens her mouth when she discovers her stand is next to Miyuki, but Monokuma cuts her off. "No complaining about where I've put you either!"

You find your stand, and try to stay calm as everyone finds his or her own place. You look around the circle: there's Sylvia to your left, Kaori, Yosuke, Toshi, Honzo, Aika, Tadakatsu, Tidus is practically across the circle from you, Ichigo, Miyuki's monochrome face frozen in a smile, Dio, Tatiana, Kanzaki, Edwin, and Aimi on your right.

On its throne, Monokuma cackles again. "And the curtain rises on the First Class Trial! Remember, figure out who the blackened is, and only they get punished. If the rest of you get it wrong, the blackened will get off scot-free, graduating alone!" The bear pauses dramatically, raising its arms.

"Court is now in session!"

The First Class Trial has officially begun. You put your hands on your wooden stand, running your hands over the smooth wooden surface. This is it: you've got to make the others believe someone other than you killed her.

You think about your beginning strategy...


	11. Chapter 1 - Accidents Happen Class Trial

_**Chapter 1 Class Trial Begin**_

"All right," Aika says, breaking the silence first, "I think it would be a good idea to start with the Monokuma File, and work from there."

"What do you mean by that?" Sylvia asks, confusion on her face.

Aika pauses, gathering her thoughts. Her gloved hands drum her stand. "I mean that there are a lot of mysteries hidden in that file." She smirks. "Making sure we know what they are would probably do us all some good, right?"

Honzo straightens his orange glasses, smirking as well. "From what I remember there were two things that Monokuma chose to deliberately hide from us: the murder weapon and the time of death." He points at Aika dramatically. "That's what you mean, is it not?"

She nods, looking slightly amused at his antics.

"Hang on," you say, an idea forming in your head. Everyone turns to you. You look at Edwin. "You investigated Miyuki's body, right, Edwin?" At his nod, you continue. "Can we trust the file, or was Monokuma just lying through his teeth?"

"My teeth are sharp, too!" Monokuma says, interjecting suddenly. "I got the 'Scariest Bear' Award three years running at my zoo!"

Dio looks at the bear, utterly bemused. "I thought you were a robot…"

Edwin coughs into his scarf quietly, and clears his throat, drawing the attention swiftly back to himself. "Yes, I investigated. No evidence that the bear lied to us. The file…told the truth."

"But how does that help at all?" Ichigo asks, pink eyes wide, her voice laced with a thin layer of panic. "So what if the file is telling the truth or lying?"

"It means we can investigate the file's questions without thinking we're wasting our time," Aika explains. "The two main questions the file raises, as Honzo pointed out, are 'what was the murder weapon?' and 'what time did the murder take place?'"

Aika is surprisingly good at this, you think to yourself.

Dio, a hand on his chin and deep in thought, begins to speak. "Well, if the murder weapon was a blunt object, could it have been the handle of a knife?"

"How did you possibly arrive at that conclusion?" Honzo asks.

"Because there was a knife in the exercise room, dumbass!" Dio responds, anger on his face. "I'm just throwing out an option here!" You start, you had totally forgotten about the knife Miyuki dropped.

"If we're just guessing, Toshi thinks it could be a lead pipe! That's a staple weapon in that one mystery board game, after all!" She looks at Ichigo, and her eyes narrow. "I'm watching you, Miss Pink…you're just color-coordinated enough to be a suspect…"

Edwin coughs into his scarf again. "Dismissing Toshi's statement," he begins, pointedly ignoring her groan, "there is proof that the knife is not the murder weapon."

Dio blinks. "Oh yeah? Lay it on me, doc. Where's the proof?"

In response, Edwin brings out a small spray bottle. "Here's your proof, Dio."

Surprisingly, Dio, now looking sheepish, does not challenge this announcement. "Oh, right, your secret weapon," he says.

"How is that bottle your secret weapon when you're investigating a murder?" Kaori asks. You were wondering the exact same thing.

"Well," Edwin says, putting his spray bottle back in his pocket, "I have hemophobia."

Aimi's breath becomes a hiss. "I never took you for a bigot."

"Hemophobia," Edwin continues, acting as if Aimi hadn't spoken, "is the fear of blood. This spray bottle of Luminol was a gift from my father."

"Luminol?" Yosuke asks.

Edwin nods. "Luminol and even a trace of blood invisible to our eye are an…exciting combination." He was becoming more animated now. "This combination shines in the darkness." He pauses. "Blood doesn't look like blood in the dark."

"We sprayed it at the…crime scene," Tatiana says. "The knife didn't glow."

"If it were the murder weapon, it definitely would've reacted to Edwin's Luminol!" Tadakatsu says, suddenly excited. "Because of that, there's no way the knife is the murder weapon!"

Why the hell does Edwin have Luminol? you think to yourself. How the hell am I supposed to beat that?

"Hang on, Dio," Tidus says, confused, "you said there was a knife at the crime scene?" At Dio's nod, he continues. "But if it wasn't the murder weapon, then who had the knife to begin with?"

Toshi jumps up in the air. "Oh, oh, Toshi's figured it out! There was a knife missing from the kitchen! That's where it came from!"

"But who the hell took it?" you ask.

"There's no way we can figure it out," Ichigo says, bemoaning the mysterious circumstances just like you'd hoped.

"If we're operating under the assumption that it was only Miyuki and the killer in the exercise room during the murder," Kanzaki says, a determined smirk plastered on his face, "I think it's a fair guess to say that Miyuki was the one with the knife, not the killer."

Shock echoes around the circle, and the blood drains from Tidus's face. Kanzaki's eyes linger on your friend's face; he seems to delight in that reaction. Tidus tried to open his mouth to speak, but no words come out.

"How can you be sure?" Aika asks.

Kanzaki shrugs. "As I said, it's just a guess. But if I had to choose between a knife and a blunt object to kill someone with, I'd choose the knife every single time." None of you like the look in his eyes.

"So, Miyuki attacked the killer with the knife?" Tadakatsu asks after a slight silence.

Again, Kanzaki shrugs. "Who knows? That's a bit off-topic for now." He glances at Tidus. "We'll get to that later."

"Back on topic, could a hammer be the murder weapon?" Kaori asks. You are surprised she's the one to bring it up. "The boys all got one in their toolkits."

"Finally, some good news!" Ichigo says, immediately cheering up a little. "So, one of the boys is the killer!"

"Not necessarily," you say, attempting to slow their significant progress. "Kaori has a hammer, too." You shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "It still could be anyone." Kaori, hesitating slightly, confirms your assessment.

"The important thing," Edwin says, coughing into his scarf, "is that a hammer would match the size of the wound."

Aika nods, a smirk appearing again on her face. "So, that's one mystery down."

Damn it, there's nothing I can say, you think to yourself.

Everyone's staring at you. Your heart is pounding, but you're stunned by how utterly calm you are. This is it, this is where my fate's decided, you think. Right here, right now.

"Hey Monokuma, is Dio right?" you ask, ignoring the accusation for the moment, giving yourself time to think of a reply.

Monokuma chuckles, grinning horribly. "Yep, Dio's absolutely right! He solved the mystery of the exercise room!"

"You going to give up?" Dio asks, his voice a threatening growl.

"Hang on, there's no way Agro can be the killer," Tidus says, disbelief evident in his voice. "There's just no way." He pauses. "Where's your evidence?"

Dio laughs, unconcerned. "That's easy. The entry log clearly says that Agro entered the exercise room at 7:36 pm and then again at 1:25 am."

"That's not exactly irrefutable evidence," Aika says, sighing. "You have anything better?"

Dio pounds his stand, ignoring her. "Agro, I know you were in the exercise room early this morning. Why the hell were you there?"

You grin, trying to appear at ease. "Dio, I get where this attack is coming from, but I just went to the exercise room to get my shirt. I'd forgotten it earlier."

"There, an innocent explanation! Now, can we please try to find the real killer?" Tidus asks, his eyes darting around.

"Agro, can you explain exactly why you chose you get your shirt that early?" Honzo asks, looking unconvinced.

You shrug. "It stuck in my mind, man. I just chose the wrong night to go wandering the halls." You force a laugh. "I guess I'm unlucky."

"That's really weird, though!" Toshi exclaims. "I mean, why wouldn't you wait until you got up in the morning to go get it?" She giggles. "It's not like your shirt can get up and walk around like Toshi's can, so it just seems so unnecessary!"

"You lied to me, Agro," Tadakatsu says, jabbing his finger in your direction. "You said you didn't leave your room last night!"

You rub the back of your head awkwardly. "I was just embarrassed."

"…Embarrassed?" Tadakatsu says.

"Dio," Sylvia says, suddenly interjecting, "did the entry log say that someone other than Miyuki and Agro went into the exercise room last night?"

Your heart sinks when Dio just shakes his head, looking more and more confident.

"So in other words, only Tidus or Agro can be the killer?" Aika asks the group, her gaze boring into you.

Tidus looks at you for a long moment, but doesn't have the strength to say anything. It seems you're going to be on your own in your defense.

"All right, you've all talked enough," you say, trying to keep your voice level. "It's my turn now." You grin despite your desperate situation, or perhaps because of it.

Silence greets those words. You have their attention. "You claim I'm the killer? That's just a whole lot of guesswork! What was my motive? I didn't have one. Did I even have a hammer? You can't be sure. Did I use the incinerator? That's impossible without the key. Why did I go to the exercise room so early in the morning? My explanation is believable. Did I kill Miyuki, or did Tidus?" You pause, breathing hard, and your restrained anger threatens to slip through the cracks. "Where's your proof? If you're all so goddamn certain, link me to the crime beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

"Agro's not going to be satisfied until we prove it, huh?" Aika mutters, her voice easily heard in the quiet courtroom. She suddenly pounds her stand, locking eyes with you. "We'll just have to prove it then, one step at a time!"

"Well, I can definitely say that Agro had a hammer yesterday," Kaori says, glaring at you as her eyes shine with tears. "He showed it to me in the cafeteria."

Goddammit, she's right, you realize: you'd shown her your hammer just for a second when you'd asked her about her own.

Aika holds up a finger. "That's one connection down, gang."

"Maybe…we're asking the wrong question…about the shirt." Tatiana's soft voice is a breath of fresh air to your classmates; it rejuvenates them in the face of your ultimatum.

"What does that even mean?" Ichigo asks, sniffling.

Tatiana pauses, but gains the courage to speak. "Maybe instead of asking why he went to the exercise room at one in the morning, we should ask why he couldn't wait?"

"Tatiana, that's brilliant," Edwin says, his words causing her to blush furiously. "Thinking about it that way…"

"A small question first," Honzo says, interrupting, "does anyone recall Agro wearing his normal dress shirt when he came back to see Toshi's act?" All around you, people shake their heads. Honzo nods at this, satisfied. "Although this is simply speculation, perhaps his shirt got some of Miyuki's blood splattered on it."

In your mind's eye, you relive that moment; Miyuki's blood splatters on your shirt once again. You recoil slightly.

"He couldn't just carry his bloody shirt around," Edwin says, picking up where he left off. "The best time...would be in the middle of the night." He pauses, his blue eyes looking at you from behind his glasses. "Agro didn't wait until morning probably because he felt he couldn't. If we saw the shirt we…would have known immediately."

"So his shirt was what he threw into the incinerator?" Sylvia asks, tapping her chin.

"Yes," Aimi says. "Assuming his shirt got splattered with blood, Agro knew he had to get rid of it." Her cat eyes are just as unnerving as ever, and she practically hisses at you. "Toshi unwittingly provided him with the means to do so." She points at you sharply, thrusting her verbal attack in deep. "The purple ball on the floor of the trash room proves it."

Toshi looks shocked. "Wait, Toshi is an accomplice?"

"Let's say I did have the purple ball," you say. They're smashing through all of my arguments, getting everything completely right! But there are two things they can't possibly pin on me. "To get rid of my shirt, I had to throw that ball through a small gap in the shutters and also hit a small button about thirty feet away." You smirk, your heart pounding. "That's just not possible for someone like me."

"It…seems impossible," Yosuke says. He looks around at the rest. "How could he do that?" A pause. "Were…we wrong?"

Silence accompanies these words. I've got them, you think, looking around at them. Doubt clouds their once-sure faces.

Suddenly, Aika smirks right back at you. "So, this is why you asked for proof, Agro? Because we can't possibly prove you turned on the incinerator?" With her many crowns, she is a queen presiding over a lowly peasant, deciding their fate. "Think about the talents we were all given by Hope's Peak! We don't have to prove he did it, we only have to show that Agro's the likeliest one to have done it!"

"He threw the ball, trusting his luck…" Sylvia says doubtfully.

"We've been saying how impossible the throw was the entire time," Tadakatsu says, "but maybe that's just it! Being the Ultimate Luck, Agro was just able to make that near-impossible throw somehow!" He looks around, a shocked smile on his face. "It was just a lucky throw!" He laughs in relief.

"Care to give up now, Agro? Confess so we can finally end this?" Aika asks.

You look around quickly. Your guilt seems certain on more than a few faces. Tidus looks like he hasn't heard the last few minutes of testimony.

"Not yet," you say. "I'm not the type of person to just give up, not when I've still got a way out!" You look straight at Kaori. "You and I chatted yesterday about getting out of here before anything bad happened, Kaori." You smile sadly, looking around at the rest of the group. "Miyuki wasn't after me, she was after Tidus. I had nothing to do with that little conflict! So why would I possibly kill her?" You pause, mind racing, cornered. This is it, my last stand!

"What the hell was my motive?"

Kaori pauses in shock. "Guys, he's right. We did talk about getting out of here yesterday!" She looks around. "The Agro I talked to yesterday in the cafeteria couldn't have planned to kill anyone!"

"No," Honzo says, "there must be something we overlooked. There must be!" From the tone of his voice, it's clear that he is not entirely sure himself. Doubt begins to seep back into their faces, and they glance between you and Tidus.

Tidus, pale and shaking once more, gulps visibly, and finally opens his mouth to speak. "What if…the murder wasn't planned?" His quiet words chill you to the bone. "Last night, Miyuki attacked me and knocked me out. When I woke up, only Agro was there." He pauses, looking at you, as if hoping you'll stop him. You're unable to do anything but look at him.

"I had thought that Miyuki just needed to vent, to take her frustration out on me a little." He looks at Dio. "But she really did want to kill me. She had a knife ready." He pauses, and then the next question comes down with the force of a hammer, in your mind smashing your defense and scattering it to the four winds.

"So why didn't she?"

No one knows how to respond to that question. In an instant, you feel all the fight go out of you. You feel drained.

"Why didn't she, man?" Your voice is strangely calm. "You're…almost there."

Tidus whispers his response, his words easily carrying to all corners of the dead silent courtroom. "You killed her to save my life, didn't you, Agro? That was your motive." In that instant, your crime becomes something real.

You sigh, pulling out your hammer, and pass it to Edwin. "Spritz that Luminol stuff on my hammer." You pause, choking out your words with a mighty effort. "Some things you can only see in the dark."

Edwin quickly and silently does so, and turns to look at Monokuma, commanding it to turn off the lights.

"With pleasure!" Monokuma cackles. The lights in the courtroom go out, leaving you in near darkness.

"Look at that, it's glowing! The hammer's glowing!"

"So that's what it looks like in the dark…"

"It's…strangely pretty…"

My crime's shining in the darkness for everyone to see, you think as you stare at your glowing hammer, the only source of light in the dark courtroom. It's…all over.

I'm going to die.

"Well, I think that about does it for this Class Trial," Monokuma says when the lights come back on. "Everyone who hasn't, cast your votes already!" It cackles. "Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

All around you, your classmates vote. You press a random button.

There is a pause as Monokuma tallies up the votes. You look anywhere but at your classmates' faces. You are afraid what you might see in them.

"Interesting…very interesting…" Monokuma says. It jumps from its throne, landing somewhat gracefully in the middle of your circle. "Congratulations, Heroes of Light! This time the majority of you were right on the money!" It looks straight at you. "The blackened in this case, the one that killed Miyuki…was none other than Agro Tenma!" Its grin widens.

"Agro…so it's true? It's really true?" Kaori asks.

"Yeah…you got it all right," you say, gritting your teeth, a bead of sweat trailing down your face. "I came out of the bathroom, saw Miyuki with the knife standing over Tidus, and…and…"

"Yes, it's quite sad," Kanzaki says, still fuming, "but I don't really care why you did it, Agro. It only matters that you did, and were found out by us."

Not by you, Kanzaki, you think, glaring at him. I fooled you at least.

"Isn't it about time you punish him?" Kanzaki asks Monokuma.

Tidus looks shocked, as if he forgot what came next. "You can't mean execution! Agro did it to save my life! I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for him!"

"What he did," Monokuma says, voice dark and low, "was commit murder." The bear shakes its head. "There are no extenuating circumstances in this courtroom. You're either guilty or you're innocent, and Agro is definitely guilty!" The bear raises a claw, miming the swing of a blade. "And guilty people have to pay the price!"

The others don't have a reply to that ready. Relief and shock show on their faces in equal measure. You just feel numb. The cold chill of defeat seeps into your bones.

Monokuma chuckles. "You're all feeling such despair. Miyuki and Agro betrayed you all."

The bear continues, smiling evilly, "With all that said, let's hurry up and get to what everyone's been waiting for…the punishment!"

"We've…already had enough death, Mr. Bear…" Tatiana says softly.

"I'm tired of begging!" Monokuma cries out. "Agro must pay the penalty for breaking the rules. Society demands it!"

"Hey, Tidus," you say, looking at your friend, trying to ignore Monokuma, the pounding in your chest, and your imminent death.

"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Agro Tenma, the Ultimate Luck!" Monokuma says, its loud voice filling everyone's ears.

"I had fun, man." You fail to grin. Tidus tries to speak, but no words come.

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's…punishment time!" Monokuma says, its one red eye flashing directly at you before it hops back onto its throne. You continue to look at Tidus, even as Monokuma takes out a gavel, bringing it down on a big red button…

"Sorry we couldn't keep being a team," you whisper, the courtroom silent. Tears fall down Tidus's cheeks. For a moment, nothing happens. You aren't immediately struck dead. You clutch your wooden stand for support, the bead of sweat dripping onto it.

_**Executed: Argo Tenma**_

_**Luck, like a Fiery Frisbee**_

Suddenly, you hear a rumbling in the walls behind you, and something cold and metallic clasps around your neck before you can react. Something yanks you away, dragging you on your back out of the courtroom and along a dark passageway. You try to free yourself, your hands tugging at the smooth steel collar around your neck, but you can't. You are utterly helpless. As soon as you begin to wonder where you're being taken, you slam into something flat. More steel restraints wrap themselves around your arms and legs, firmly holding you in place. You can't move.

You struggle to tilt your head, and you realize you're trapped on a large steel disc. It's kind of like a giant Frisbee, you think, in a cold sweat. You're at one end of a long corridor.

Monokuma appears before you, grinning like never before. In a swift motion, it easily picks up the giant disc, and the other end of the corridor ignites in flame. It's another incinerator! you think, terror threatening to overwhelm you.

With a mighty grunt, Monokuma throws the disc in a perfect arc, and you spin wildly, the temperature growing hotter as you approach the flames. You scream as the bright orange flame gets closer and closer, filling your vision...

The giant Frisbee completes its journey into the flames, the incinerator's grate slamming shut, and the pain is excruciating. Your world is fire, smoke, and pain.

Miyuki's laughing voice chases you into fiery oblivion.

_Hey, I love you too, you idiot—_

_**Chapter 1 End**_

_**Fourteen Students Remain**_


End file.
